For anyone reading this who spends a lot of time online, you’ll know that there is a link between mental wellbeing and technology use. Whether you’ve suffered from comparison fatigue or burnout from endless emails. Keeping our digital wellness in check is a serious consideration. Digital Wellness is a movement that promotes optimal health and well-being both online and offline. Digital Wellness means the ability to keep mind, body and soul happy and to live fully within human and also digital communities. You can use Twitter unfollow tools, set boundaries as well as these other digital wellness habits for happiness.
Digital Wellness
Habits For Happiness
There are a few simple digital wellness habits for happiness that you can adopt. These are simple digital wellness habits that will have a great impact on your overall happiness. One of the best habits I have found to be effective, is to leave your phone in another room when you’re not using it. So for example, when I get home I’ll leave my phone upstairs. Then I’m not tempted to keep picking it up to check my emails. This simple habit has helped me to disconnect for a prolonged period of time and ultimately feel happier.
Read A Book
Easier said than done, I know! If you are a self-confessed phone addict. It can be a real struggle to not look at your phone before bed. Putting down my phone and carving out at least 30minutes before I go to sleep has been a revelation. Now I’ll pop my phone down and read a chapter or two for at least half an hour- before eventually nodding off. This simple habit has helped my to sleep better and feel way more relaxed when it’s time to sleep. A good nights sleep will in turn make your feel happier!
Be Present
Protect and preserve your happiness by being more present. For me being more present has meant having at least a few hours every evening when I don’t look at social media. This can be tough if you’re used to always being online. Tuning out of social media for an evening can help you to feel happier. You can have an evening with your loved ones and not be scrolling through endless content. Endless scrolling can make you miserable, so try to designate a time in the evening without social media.
Turn Off Notifications
When it comes to digital wellness, you need to turn off your notifications. Turning off the notifications on your phone from apps such as WhatsApp will help you to avoid overwhelm. I imagine that most people are included in at least one WhatsApp thread or maybe more, where the notifications can get sometimes feel stressful. Opt out, you can then make the conscious decision to go into the app and check your notifications as and when you feel like it. Making more conscious decisions to check notifications will mean avoiding overwhelm and leave you feeling happier.
Write A List
Write a list before you go online to avoid endless clicking and scrolling. If you set out with a list when you log in to your laptop you have a clear intention. Having a clear intention of what you are going to achieve will help you to limit your screen time. Having a more conscious amount of screen time will help you to feel like you’ve achieved something. You might also find that you get way more done!
Compassion Not Competition
Comparison fatigue is real. Journalist Katherine Ormerod was compelled to write her book ‘Is Social Media Ruining Your Life‘ We all have that person(s) that we follow who seems to always be on holiday or ‘living their best life’. Instead of feeling less or comparing your life to there’s, try to celebrate their life and leave a positive comment.
Unfollow
If you can’t bring yourself to leave a positive comment, then unfollow. You have a choice of who you follow and making clear decisions about who and what accounts bring you happiness will make your online experience more fulfilling. Unfollow accounts that don’t light you up or inspire you.
Click Consciously
Click consciously. Be careful of what you click on. Be aware that whatever you click on when using platforms such as Facebook, you will inevitably be shown more of the same kind of content. Say for example you click on political articles, Facebook will put more of this type of political content on your Facebook feed. You will attract more of what you click on. With this in mind, you might like to decide to click on positive news headlines, then you are more likely to get to read positive stories.
Create Connections
Connect with individuals who you admire. Connect by following and then interact by leaving positive comments. Use social media platforms as a way to reach out and connect with like minded individuals. When utilised properly social media can be a tool for good. You might eventually meet up in real life with connections that you have made through platforms like instagram. Perhaps even work or collaborate with other creatives or connections in a similar field to you.
You Are Enough
Remember that you are enough. Your life, pictures, stories and creativity is completely unique to you. Don’t be afraid to experiment, grow, create and evolve online.
Some of these habits may seem obvious but it’s always good to remind ourselves every now and again. We’re all on this weird journey growing alongside technology. We are constantly evolving together with technology and like any relationships there will be ups and downs. Fostering positive habits will help to maintain a happy relationship with technology and be better overall for your digital wellness.
Stay fabulous
Christine
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