{"id":10685,"date":"2018-10-09T15:41:40","date_gmt":"2018-10-09T14:41:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ounews.co\/?p=10685"},"modified":"2018-10-09T15:41:40","modified_gmt":"2018-10-09T14:41:40","slug":"how-to-manage-the-digital-related-stress-of-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/education-languages-health\/health\/how-to-manage-the-digital-related-stress-of-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"How to manage the digital-related stress of technology"},"content":{"rendered":"

How can we avoid the stress and anxiety associated with the digital age?\u00a0Dr Gini Harrison<\/a> and Dr Mathijs Lucassen<\/a> give us five tips.<\/p>\n

In a related article on the dark side of technology<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0we explored\u00a0how research is starting to show that smartphone and multimedia use is related to anxiety and poor cognitive function.\u00a0 So, what can we do to avoid digital-related stress?\u00a0Here are some\u00a0top tips for managing wellbeing in the digital age.<\/p>\n

1: Go on a Digital Detox<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"\"Whether this means for an hour, a day, a week or longer\u2026 try to find time to switch off from your devices and disengage from social media.\u00a0At the very least, turning off your notifications and sleeping with your phone in another room, or on aeroplane mode,\u00a0might be enough to see a positive change.\u00a0 For example, a recent study found that restricting smartphone use in the bedroom improved sleep quality, and increased happiness and quality of life.\u00a0 If you are up for more of a challenge, try taking a significant break from social media.\u00a0The British Psychology Society recently posted\u00a0an article<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on how taking a five day break from Facebook can reduce cortisol levels (a physiological marker of stress); and other studies have found a similar positive effect on more psychological measures of wellbeing.<\/p>\n

2: Set yourself clear smartphone social usage boundaries<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"coupleMany of us use our phones when we\u2019re with our friends and family, watching television, and eating; dividing our attention between our phones and our real life experiences.\u00a0However, research has shown that being more mindful and generally being more present is good for our wellbeing. \u00a0So set yourself some ground rules that will allow you to better live in the moment.\u00a0For example, rules such as no phones at the dinner table, putting on aeroplane mode when you\u2019re out catching up with friends, or no texting\u00a0between set times (like 10pm-8am) can help encourage you to switch off and live in the now.<\/p>\n

3: Re-balance your work and home life<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"\"With email in our pocket it\u2019s important to set boundaries in terms of when our working day begins and ends.\u00a0Try turning off your email notifications and only check your emails at certain times of the day.\u00a0Decide on the last time you will allow yourself to check your email, and send out any last minute replies\u2026 and then let everything else wait until morning.\u00a0If you are worried what people might think, you could try setting up an auto-reply explaining when you will be checking your emails.\u00a0This is becoming an increasingly common practice that people are using to manage their wellbeing.<\/p>\n

4: Audit and curate your social media feed<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"socialNext time you are on social media, look at the different posts on your feed and be honest with yourself about how they make you feel.\u00a0If someone\u2019s photos, comments or tweets are making you feel bad, hide or unfollow them (even if they are your best friend; just because someone is great to be around in real life, doesn\u2019t mean the same is\u00a0true online).\u00a0 On the flipside, actively seek out things that make you feel good about yourself\u2026 and follow them, whether that\u2019s wholesome good news stories, educational posts, inspirational quotes, your favourite comedian, or funny cat videos.\u00a0It is important to minimise the negative while also maximising the positive, as a recent study found that while negative interactions and experiences on social media were related to higher levels of depression and anxiety; more positive interactions and experiences on social media were consistently related to lower levels of depression and anxiety.<\/p>\n

5: There\u2019s an app for that; use technology to your advantage<\/strong><\/h2>\n