Well, we are two weeks into the new year! How are your new years resolutions and 2022 intentions holding up? One of mine is to enhance my digital wellbeing. Here’s why….

#1 - Physical health needs:

I have 20/20 vision. It’s pretty cool. I get to live my life “seeing for free.” However, I also struggle with light sensitivity, and I am prone to screen-induced ocular migraines that cause me temporary vision loss and usually are followed by serious brain fog and headaches. Light sensitivity impacts every day of my life. It is actually one of the reasons I like working remote: I can control and adjust the light in environment and on my devices. Recently I’ve noticed an increase in some of my symptoms. So, I decided to experiment with adjusting my technology use.

Did you know that according to Everyday Health, blink rates go down ~75% when we are on digital devices?

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#2 - Mental clarity:

In comparison to a few years ago, I spend an absurd about of time in front of screens both as a remote worker as well as my leisure time. The leisure part of my screen time really does not enhance my life or bring me joy for the most part. So, I decided it is time to change things up.

I am not looking to eliminate technology from my life. Rather I am looking to be more mindful about how I am using it and the impacts that strategy has on my health and wellbeing.

I know that I am not alone in struggling to balance the opportunities of the world of technology with their more negative impacts.

The average person spends 13+ hours per day on digital devices. Yikes.

While these devices are powerful tools that allow us to maximize our efforts and stay connected with one another, they also have their drawbacks. A few common side effects include:

• Eye strain
• Headaches
• Feelings of loneliness or isolation
• Poor sleep
• Neck pain
• Poor posture
• Higher stress
• Overuse injuries (thumb tendon injuries from scrolling, for example)

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Here are some examples of things I am trying out to reengineer how I engage with the digital world:

1.) Creating a pause

It is hard to change behaviors that have become so engrained into my habits they happen with minimal conscious thought. Here are some things I have done to create a second of pause or increase the difficulty of engaging in a habit enough to make me aware I am doing it:

I changed my phone password. For the first few days until I got used to it I had to intentionally think about what the new password was which gave me a chance to make a conscious decision about what I was doing on my phone in the first place and whether or not to proceed.

I deleted “shortcuts” to the apps I want to use less and set app timers to reduce daily use.

I use a wake-up alarm on my watch instead of my phone. That way, I am less likely to start my day with doom scrolling before I even get out of bed.

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2.) Decrease multi-device chaos

One device at a time: Let’s call it as it is. Doing all the digital things at once does not make me more efficient, it dilutes my focus. The other day I caught myself sending an email on my work laptop while playing music from my iPad while dismissing a notification from my phone while checking the temperature on my watch. Wow. I am actively working to limit myself to using one device at a time. One thing that is helping me start that habit is keeping my devices in different rooms from one another.

Taking off my smart watch: I have had a smart watch for two years. I enjoy the activity tracking, incident detection, and health metric features. It is also nice to be able to see texts and other notifications on the go when my phone is tucked away in my purse or in the other room (let’s be honest it is not far away). But after two years of use, I already have a long standing baseline for my average heart rate, daily steps etc. So, when I am not doing big athletic endeavors or navigating a new trail system, I really don’t need it on all the time. I’ve started adding a few watch-free days into my weekly routine and I love it!

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3.) Being kind to my eyeballs

• I recently rearranged my office so my desk is not facing a white wall. This reduces brightness exposure and also gives me the opportunity to gaze at things more than two feet away which ultimately reduces eye strain for me.

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• I purchased a matte screen protector for my laptop to reduce shine and glare. I am also considering getting blue light glasses, but am not sold on their effectiveness yet – do you have them? Do you love them? Let me know!

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• I changed my systems (Chrome, MS teams, Office Suite etc.) to “dark mode”

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• I eat lunch outside – this forces me to take a mental & physical break from screens for even just a few minutes. I have a few bird feeders set up that attract a variety of songbirds. This keeps me entertained when I am struggling to just be without music, technology, etc. On days that the weather is not conducive to outdoor lunch (I live in Colorado; it is quite cold here currently), I give my dog a neck massage or cook something fun for lunch to avoid falling into the technology-by-convenience trap.

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Reflecting on the JOMO (Joy of Missing Out)

In the digital age, taking steps away from constant updates feels like missing out. However, there are some parts of the “always on” experience I am happy to miss out on. I am joyful to be missing out on:

Cultured expectations that don’t fit me.

I have found that when I step back from mindless consuming in the digital world, it impacts my decisions in the physical world too. I buy less. I feel better about the purchases I do make, the clothes I wear, the body I live in, and the company I keep.

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Self-numbing.

In 2022 I want to heal, I want to grow, and I want to feel alive. Social media and most TV does not do that for me. So, I am adjusting what apps and entertainment I actually consume. For example, I have started using apps that increase my wellbeing like Purposeful and Calm. I am also using apps that are learning tools, like Coursera, Audible, and Spotify. I particularly like listening to podcasts or books while I do chores.

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Inauthentic showcasing.

I am enjoying reconnecting with the intention of my own experience. I have a lot of friends with awesome lives! I also have an awesome life, and it is still awesome if it is unobserved.

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Imperfectly Striving

I am working to use technology more mindfully and adapt my work experiences to enhance digital wellbeing. In that process I am finding I have more time and energy to engage with activities that align with my actual values and priorities like taking longer walks with my dog, creative endeavors, and catching up with friend one on one.  

I am making a lot of mistakes and back steps along the way. I would say I feel good about my technology use about 3/7 days of the week currently, but I am making progress and focusing forward. For me, this is not about an all-or-nothing, success or failure approach. It is about noticing and taking opportunities to make little changes that align with my values and needs better, slowing building towards a healthier life. What are you building towards today?

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