How to reduce anxiety with digital detox?

Can any of us call ourselves carefree without prejudice? Unlikely. Our life constantly confronts us with many questions and tasks that require urgent solutions. And most of us deal successfully with life’s big and small challenges. We also like to hang out on funny and interesting channels, for example The Fashion Vibes on Viber. But at the same time, some people may experience chronic fatigue syndrome, professional burnout or increased anxiety, or even an anxiety disorder.

The redundancy of digital information – how we perceive it

Social networks, news sites, a large number of ads and clickbait, bloggers arousing various emotions in the audience – all this has become an integral part of our lives in the digital age. Unfortunately, excessive immersion in the online space can sometimes negatively affect our situation.

This is the so-called nomophobia, in which a person experiences psychological and even physical discomfort when leaving his smartphone, at least for a short time. Anxiety and Fear of Missing Out Syndrome is a FOMO effect that forces you to constantly shuffle the news feeds for fear of missing something important. And such a common phenomenon as “micro boredom” when any spare minute plunges into the phone causing a feeling of boredom that “immediately needs relief”. As a result, more and more people are turning to psychologists and doctors with complaints of anxiety and sleep problems.

The solution – digital detox and digital hygiene

Such manifestations of anxiety can be avoided with the help of digital detox, i.e. the temporary conscious rejection of the use of smartphones, computers, tablets and other devices, and digital hygiene, i.e. conscious reduction of the negative impact of the environment. digital space. Digital detox is nothing new: The concept is already more than a decade old, and until recently its relevance has only increased. During a period of self-isolation, when many were only able to communicate with the outside world online, the popularity of digital detox waned somewhat. At the same time, those who practiced digital detox noted tangible success in reducing anxiety, the emergence of more interesting and useful leisure time in life.

Private tours for digital detox have become popular in places where mobile and internet connections are no longer available. Instead, it is recommended to admire nature, travel through tourist routes, and practice yoga and spiritual practices. It’s a great way to reset and take a break from the digital world, but not all of us can leave our current jobs and embark on such a journey.

Digital hygiene is measures that protect a person in the digital space. Using strong passwords, caller ID and refusing to publish your personal data protect against online scammers. Rules that help us counteract the harmful information found on the web protect our souls.

With a little effort, we can successfully implement digital detox and digital hygiene on our own without interrupting our daily lives. To do this, it is enough to know a few fairly simple tricks.

We clean our digital space

To do this, you need to choose a conscious approach to information consumption. Start by identifying a clear list of topics that are important and interesting to follow on social media. After that, you can unsubscribe from accounts, influencers and publics that you habitually visit, not because they are really needed and interesting. You can get really important and useful messages from people and sources. All this refers to the simple rules of digital hygiene.

Applying digital detox to daily life

To try a digital detox, it’s important to plan your time and to-do list ahead of time. For example, on the weekends, you can take a break from the phone and the internet by choosing walking, reading, sports and other activities that do not require the use of gadgets. You should stop interacting with your phone, laptop and TV two hours before going to bed and also don’t forget to set night mode on your smartphone. You can mute the phone while reading a book, meeting with family or friends, and it’s better to leave it in another room or bag entirely. You can also regularly monitor your screen time in your smartphone settings and set your own goals to reduce it.

Don’t forget to take out insurance

All these techniques are not so easy for people with increased feelings of anxiety. They may worry that they will miss some important calls like courier, online store or bank by muting their phone.

However, due to the increasing number of phone scams, it may not be safe to answer all incoming calls. To minimize the risks and inconvenience caused by large numbers of calls from unknown numbers, you can now use the caller ID feature available in various apps and social platforms. For example, such a free option has recently appeared in Viber messenger. In this way, you will be able to distinguish really important calls from spam or non-urgent calls, and you will not distract from your free time or hobbies with every incoming call.

With the help of such simple actions, if used regularly, you can feel as confident as possible, as well as calm and the right level of energy, both online and in real life.