Guyyyyss I put my hand up �♀️ I spend too much time online... tips!!! Work life balance!!!
- Looking for practical tips to reduce digital
- Fun things to do instead (I like nature and sports)
- What things have people done ‘online’ to connect with their friends?
- What are your feelings towards lockdown loosening.... tbh I’m unsure ��♀️
Replies11
- Hello Nadine,I find putting my work tablet, keyboard and mouse in my desk drawer helps when work is done to stop me drifting back to messages.Also as you love nature maybe some houseplants to tend to, or new plants in a garden if you have one, could be a welcome distraction and reminder of the physical world and time passing. Also it's so good for the eyes to focus on something not at the same head-to-screen distance.Like other commenters I agree deleting disruptive apps and turning off notifications can stop unconscious phone gazing - something I am so often guilty of.Enjoy your off screen time.
- Hi Nadine,I hear you – so easy to get sucked into the digital abyss.I felt exactly the same way about a year ago, with spending my working day in front of a screen but then also using my phone way too extensively.Stolen lots of tips and tricks from other people to minimise my digital intake, I hope they give you some inspiration too:- Distinguish between work digital self and private digital self: switch off that computer and then ignore it for as long as possible.- Priorise and write a daily to do list on paper. Helps you shift your attention onto other things like nice walks outside and setting boundaries.- In regards to your phone usage: Delete all apps and only redownload the once you apparently really need on a daily basis / delete all social apps, only download when you want to post something or to check in maybe once a week.- Set caps on your apps or use apps like Forest, while also having fun and planting some trees.- Turn it into challenges: the amount of time spent on your phone each week has to be walked off again at the weekend. Shocking how much you gonna walk :)- Everyone else’s input in regards to yoga, meditation, mindfulness is great as well. Ignore the irony that you often need a phone to do these things: These are the good ones.Have a great weekend and hopefully one off the computer.k
- Hi Nadine,Try taking a moment a few times to a day to stop, breathe, look out of the window, feel your feet on the ground. Just 2 minute stints can really help.Block out Fridays as a zoom free day – any meetings do them as a phone call or better still, don’t do any! This has been a big hit for us at work and makes such a difference to our week.Keep your phone in another room switched on silent after a certain time. By giving yourself a few hours of distance between you and social media / online you’ll feel much calmer and sleep better.Lockdown lifting…? I too feel a little apprehensive but just as we adjusted going into it, we shall adjust coming out of it. Ease in and don’t worry too much, we shall make our way back to a new normal in time, there's no rush.
- Also...try diarising everything if you have a busy schedule .e.g walks, stretching, replying to emails. It helps knowing that you'll get stuff done, including self care (which is arguably just as important as emails!)
- Reduce digital – start every day with activity e.g. yoga or a walk. Never bring your laptop to your bedroom (or near it if you can!). Schedule walkie talkies instead of meetings if you can and walk and talk with headphones (not holding the phone). Set a regular 'Bedtime' mode on your phone so it turns darker an to Do Not Disturb mode without you having to remember to do it.Fun things: take up a new sport – from dancing to boxing, it doesn't matter, new is good! Discover your neighborhood with walking places you don't normally go to. when lockdown lifts, discover further afield and book 'local' holidays
- Hey Nadine, I try (try being the optimal word) to leave my phone turned off, in a drawer somewhere, outside of work hours, and some permitted social media time hours. This isn 't always possible, when work is busy etc. But I find it makes such a difference. Just making it that little bit harder to be online massively reduces how much time I spend.
- Hi Nadine,I hear you - life has mainly been digital for the past 12 months.I do try and get my yoga every morning via YouTube, yes it is online, but it is very soothing and a meditation session just before bed.As I had been made redundant last summer, I spent my time learning new digital skills and implementing them so I now my own online store and still learning every day. As for family and friends' time - for the moment that is still via videochat as well :) So the digital bit, is inevitable, that is here to stay, in my case anyway, as I would not want a physical shop.I plan breaks in my day calendar, to get away from the screen and do something else like, go for a walk, or go through stuff at home and do some clearing up.And it's nice to get out for a walk every day... just to clear your head and get some air.I do find I've been living a lot healthier in these last few months, as I have quit smoking and I don't drink as much as I used to.When I was working in the office, I would get breakfast and lunch outside on the high street or the canteen every day. But at home I have always cooked from scratch, fresh vegetables and fruit.. On that note, cooking is a good distraction to get away from the screen as well! Get to the market and get creative with food :)I have just booked myself in for my first covid jab, so am pleased :) Fingers crossed! We're heading in the right direction :)
- I've started putting my phone in my office at night and I am AMAZED at what a difference it has made to my sleep and overall wellbeing! The quality of my sleep is better, and I feel less of a tie to Instagram, which has stopped me comparing myself to others, which has made me feel happier overall!I think you've just got to be tough with yourself, and build up your willpower when you feel the itch to pick up your phone. Noone else is going to do it for you, so it's up to you to really change those habits.Also viewing picking up your phone as a habit rather than an activity might help. It's something you might do automatically without thinking, so if you engage your brain when you do it and go "no, I don't really want to do this, this is just a habit" it might make it easier to break.It's not a break from digital but I've got right back into video gaming this year, and it;s a nice way to feel productive but also relax! Animal Crossing on the Switch is amazing. You could also connect with friends or other people this way.I'm apprehensive about lockdown loosening. I don't have full-blown social anxiety, but I certainly didn't like the pace of life before lockdown. So I'm hoping to be more concious of this when things go back to normal and not allowing myself to get caught up in other peoples' expecations of me in life after lockdown.Hope this helps!
- Oh! And Nootropics - highly recommend Power Up from Motion Nutrition - they really help you focus and start the day right. Been using them for years and they help me achieve way more than I used to.
- I had the same problem during TBD planning. I remedied it by blocking time to get outside in my calendar and then having Alexa ping me to break my attention. I also highly recommend making a ‘go’ bag; just a small bag with everything you need for a short trip (water, book, £5, notepad) and then I turned my phone off and ran out.
- A very good morning routine, waking up early, going out for a walk or do some exercise would really set you up for feeling whole, i.e. not seeking fulfilment externally, for example in spending too much time online or other activities where you actually loose energy and become depleted emotinally and mentally as well.Nutrituous, healthy meals, having a dog, journalling have also helped me to find balance in life and to deal with difficult feelings, such as isolation, loneliness during lockdowns.Mindfulness, trying to live slowly and doing everything consciously is another secret towards happiness.Practicing yoga and meditation and make both a lifestyle, rather than once in a while activities could also be worth trying.
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