Having an imbalance between your physical life and digital life can be very overwhelming and I say this from a place of experience. With the way the world is evolving, we carry out almost every activity digitally; from little things like checking the time or date to bigger things like working a remote job.
I can list a number of people who carry their phones to check their notifications first thing in the morning and they do the same thing as the last thing before they go to bed. I do not have any issue with people who do this but this doesn't make for a healthy digital lifestyle. Exposure to screen time very early in the morning and late at night has been proven to not only affect circadian rhythms but mental health too and I believe no one would like that for either themselves or their kids.
About two years ago, I easily fell into the category of people who were “mindlessly” always on their phones. Doing everything and nothing all at once. Was this always draining? Yes. And fulfilling? Not so much. I realized that by doing this I was creating a void of imbalance. My digital life was great but I found it hard to face reality because reality was a mess. Eventually, it dawned on me that I was well on my way down a slippery slope and I had to create a balance in one way or another. During this period, two tips or do I say actions kept me going.
The first had to do with limiting my screen time. To reiterate, I spent every single wake hour on my phone. I was either surfing the net, gawking at an eBook, watching reels, watching a movie or whatever seemed right at the moment. This had an effect on my battery life but the major issue was the fact that I had little to no time to carry out other activities like chores, conversations with fellow humans, workouts and even studying. Again, it was a mess.
Soon enough, I decided to try limiting my screen time but just like a drug addict, I had some withdrawal symptoms. I could barely function because the only means by which I could function lollygag was being avoided. Simply put, the first few weeks were a bit tough but I got a hang of it.. eventually.
The second tip I'd like to share is proper scheduling of one's day. This way, you dedicate certain hours to your digital life and the rest of the hours can be used to venture into more lucrative and beneficial activities. This way, you become more focused and accountable.
I find that this works out pretty well for me especially as a student who has a bunch of other things to do in a day. Twenty-four hours may not seem like a lot of time but with a feasible schedule, it's more than enough time.
Limiting screen time and making and abiding to schedule are two important tips that are necessary for both adults and kids who aim to live a healthier digital life.