Four Steps To Have A Healthier Relationship with Technology

What is your relationship with your phone?

How much screen time do you have a day?

Over a decade ago phones were used to make calls and computers were used for work purposes or school for a period of time.

Technology is a powerful tool that helps us advance in personal and professional lives. However, many people feel overwhelmed or obsessed with this technology.

Laptops and smartphones become our best friends, since the moment we wake up, going with us everywhere, and until we go to sleep.

There are so many advantages to technology, but it is important to understand the impact technology can have on different areas of our lives, like social connections, productivity, and emotional health. Establishing and maintaining a healthy relationship with our devices and the internet gives us the opportunity to only be affected in positive ways.

Many of us have a love-hate relationship with technology, however, we become victims of the fear of missing out. We want to know what is going on with friends, family, or artists. We lose connection with the people around us and get distracted by technology.

I think that it is imperative to be able to disconnect from computers and phones to focus on your daily tasks, decision making and resilience, but overall your well-being.

Like any relationship, a healthy relationship with the technology requires balance and boundaries. Here are four ways to establish a healthy relationship with technology.

Limit Your Phone Time

One of the first things many of us do in the morning is check our phone. We open our email and see an urgent email and want to respond right away. When that happens, you are still sitting at your desk and it is 11 a.m. and are not dressed and have had no breakfast.

It is a good idea to limit your time on your devices instead of checking every minute. These distractions can steal away hours of focus each day. Think about creating a schedule of when to use them. Consider staying offline for an entire day each week and only using technology between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Most devices have settings that will allow you to limit your screen time. Setting rules to limit phone time allows you to set boundaries between your personal and professional lives and find a better balance. I think being able to shut off work after coming home allows you to fully recharge and be present with your loved ones.

Collect Yourself Before Using Your Phone or Laptop

What you see on social media is not necessarily the truth. Balance yourself with meditation, routine workouts, and offline activities. Reset your brain and collect your mental energy and focus. Spending time away from the noise can have a huge impact on your performance at work and allows you to collect mental energy and focus. It also helps with having a clear mind to make better decisions.

Schedule Your Incoming Emails With An App

Nowadays, there are so many helpful apps on your phone. Find an app that collects all of your emails and delivers them only at certain times of the day. This can keep you on track during your work hours instead of being distracted by a simple email that requires two minutes of your attention. Scheduling a few time slots during the day to read emails is much more efficient than shifting your focus away from other important daily tasks every time you see an email come in.

Step Away And Take Breaks From Technology Every Few Hours

Take your eyes off the screen and rejuvenate. Change your screen to dark mode to help reduce eye strain and relaxes the brain when working several hours on the computer.

Scheduling a regular time away from the desk, like taking a ten minute walk outside, having a conversation with a co-worker or a coffee meeting, helps with recharging your batteries and also a great way to build better relationships with your fellow team members. This helps building and strengthening your leadership.

The effect technology has on your mental health often comes down to how you use it, and why. It can also help you connect with people going through similar life challenges or exploring the same interests.

However, how we use technology is crucial to our well-being and our overall performance as leaders.