It’s difficult to maintain mindfulness and mental wellness when we’re constantly
bogged down by difficult news, information overload, and pending tasks each
time we turn on our emails. This University of Toronto study on the effects of
smartphones on mental health among youths even states that prolonged use can
result in sleep deprivation and mental distress. It’s especially hard to escape the
internet when your entertainment, work, and personal relationships are all
interconnected through our smartphones. But if you can’t escape your mobile
device, the best thing you can do is at least use them for wellness.
It sounds contradictory, but there are many ways you can control your
technological environment to improve your mental health. Here are some things
you can try:
Managing your notifications
The internet has knocked down many of the barriers separating our personal and professional lives. But the easiest way you can reinforce them is by managing your notifications. The Guardian outlines how our notifications can actually derail our progress and impact our mental wellbeing. Limiting your notifications or deleting your work apps from your phone altogether — possibly even limiting your exposure to social media — can do wonders for mindfulness and staying grounded in the present.
Mindfulness exercises
It’s difficult to be present when you’re constantly worrying about the future and
being weighed down by the past. Mindfulness exercises help you ground yourself
by paying greater attention to your feelings and surroundings and refreshing your
perspective on the world. This post entitled Benefits of Mindfulness highlights the
positive cognitive effects that comes with practicing mindfulness including
decreased depression, emotional regulation, managing anxiety and stress, better
memory, and cognitive improvement. Thankfully, technology can help you
unwind through numerous apps designed to assist you in stress management
and meditation. These range from mindful breathing to soothing audios to
immersive virtual reality apps that can help you when you need to unwind and
reorient yourself.
Keep active
If you don’t have enough time and resources to go to the gym or step out for a
run, then the internet can be your best friend when it comes to your fitness
journey. A blog post entitled ‘Psychology of Exercise: Improvements to Mental
Health’ by Maryville University details the many mental health benefits that come
with exercise, such as alleviating feelings of anxiety and depression and
improving your sense of well-being and self-confidence. There are countless
apps available that offer a versatile range of physical activities like dance
exercise, yoga, or apartment-friendly circuit training. YouTube also offers
exercise sessions ranging from 5-minute cardio workouts to Zumba. It’s budget-
friendly and convenient, especially when you're in need of a quick energy boost or mood lift.
Staying in touch with your loved ones
Staying in touch with your loved ones is a good way to care for yourself within
your hectic schedule. Thankfully, that’s made more accessible than ever with
technology, too. You can easily carve out time in the day to check in through
video or voice calls or find convenient ways to have quality time with your friends
and family. Even if you can’t find time for an out-of-town excursion, our article on
‘Ideas for Family Vacations and Staycations’ can provide you with ideas for
convenient bonding activities like backyard camping, outdoor movies, or board
game tournaments.
Having access to technology can feel too noisy sometimes. But when it gets
overwhelming, technology can also help us quiet things down. If you’re lost about
where to start with caring for yourself, then you don’t have to look much further
than your phone.
Article written by Rhian Jackson.
Image credit: Pexels
