Balance your screen time - and boost your mental strength in a digital world
Is your smartphone within reach right now? If so, you are just like the rest of us. With digital devices always close at hand, we can stay updated and available – both at work and at home. When we have become used to checking our smartphones in meetings, eating lunch in front of the PC and checking emails at night, our digital use may have gone too far, however.
Developers of smartphones and other digital devices are competing for your time and attention. Finding the right balance between productivity and mental focus is key. Here are some tips and ideas on how to regain control of your use of digital devices.
With this app, you can track how much time you spend on your smartphone or tablet. This is the first step in achieving (or maintaining) a balance.
Moment (iOS/Android): With this app, you can track your screen time. The app constantly runs in the background and tracks the amount of time your screen is switched on. If you feel a need to limit your screen time, you can add an alarm notifying you when you have exceeded your chosen time limit. You can use the app free of charge, but you can also add on extra options against a charge.
The little notifications popping up on your screen attract your attention, as do the email and app icons that indicate how many unread messages you have. It can take up to 20 minutes to recover your workflow if you are interrupted while performing a task that requires your full concentration. It can be helpful to turn them off, so that you actively decide when to check your email or apps.
On most smartphones, you can choose only to allow notifications from a selected group of people who are allowed to contact you at all times.
Time-consuming apps will then not be the first thing you see when you turn on your smartphone or tablet. This may make the screen less attractive to you.
This can be done on most smartphones by placing the apps you do not need in the same folder on page 2 of your smartphone or tablet.
It can be difficult to be without your smartphone or tablet, as your brain releases small shots of dopamine, for example when you play a game or receive a notification. This is similar to the brain processes triggered by nicotine or cocaine. This is part of the explanation behind smartphone addiction. For this reason, you can switch your smartphone to grayscale and make the screen less attractive to you.
In a digital world where we can be reached 24/7, it is a good idea to arrange with your employer when your manager and colleagues may expect you to be available outside normal business hours, to avoid misunderstandings and miscommunication.
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