What is digital wellness and how should we take care of it?
Digital wellness is a relatively new term that is used to describe an area of wellbeing which focuses mainly on social and physical health in the digital world. With the technology industry constantly evolving and our time spent online each day continuously on the rise, it is important for us to understand how the digital landscape can impact our health and wellbeing and learn how to take care of it properly.
Here at Glandore, our wellness programme is an important part of our company’s culture which is why we want to offer some simple tips on how you can help your employees care for their digital wellbeing and help them be more mindful of their time spent online each day.
Downtime is a must
Just like our mental and physical health and wellbeing, we need to set aside some time to take care of our digital wellness. We spend a large proportion of our time each day online and it is important to set aside some time where we can switch off and be present. Whether it’s watching TV shows on Netflix or flicking through your social media platforms, try to reduce your amount of screen time each day and monitor it closely. Recent studies have shown that social media can have a negative impact on our digital wellness as well as our mental health. With some social platforms like Facebook and Instagram allowing people to feel anxious, lonely, bullied or left out we believe that downtime can remove both this stress and anxiety which is important when caring for our overall wellness.
Using technology to care for our digital wellness
Rather than detoxing from technology entirely, maybe we should take a healthy step back and set ourselves some boundaries. Why not spend less time spent online rather than none at all? We can use technology to help improve our digital wellness. Tech giants like Google and Apple now have their own digital wellness initiatives and companies have created apps that help you enjoy wellness through yoga and meditation. These can help us disconnect from our digital lives and be more mindful of our screen time each day. Even Instagram allows its user to set chosen time limits and reminders so they can monitor their usage. Technology can help support and encourage our digital wellness when used correctly.
Get out, get moving and be present
We spend so much time indoors, sitting at our desks in the same position for hours each day. We are not built to do this and it can often make us feel tired or anxious as a result. Make it a priority to get moving and chat with colleagues, meet up for a coffee or lunchtime walk rather than escaping into your phone. If you find that you spend a lot of time after work online or scrolling through social media feeds or watching the latest new series, then maybe it’s time to start planning some time outdoors in nature. Spending time outdoors, getting fresh air will help you reconnect with the real world, refocus your mind and boost energy levels.