We’re not addicted to our electronic devices per se, but we at Notable recognize that as young professionals (YPs) working in digital media, we spend an incredible amount of time staring at screens. We also recognize that we must make an effort to take time away from those screens to continue working toward that all-important YP balance. For our mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing, pulling away from our electronic devices, for just one day a week, can have immensely positive effects on our health and happiness. Here’s why you should consider going screen-free and, more importantly, how it can be done:
Give up my smartphone, but why?!
Ok, deep breath. We know it may sound overwhelming and utterly impossible for some, and so first off we want to say: we feel you! Like trying to give up anything that you are used to doing/having every single day, this will not be easy. But, as psychologists and doctors are discovering more and more, there are a growing number of seriously negative effects that our continual engagement with screens is having on our mood, brain function, and physical health. From head and eye aches due to the unnatural lighting, to the effects on our attention span, response systems, and interpersonal skills and relationships (not to mention that excruciating hand claw syndrome caused by all the texting and typing), the devices we swear we can’t live without may not be making life that much easier after all.
Dr. Victoria L. Dunckley, who writes frequently on the topic of going screen-free for Psychology Today, states that “electronic fasting,” even in short doses, can result in a number of positive outcomes, such as:
– A more relaxed mood
– Increased creativity
– Improved eye contact with others
– Improved sleep
– Improved blood flow to the brain and other organs
– Reduced headaches
– Renewed interest in other activities
Turn off my laptop, but how?!
Again, if anyone recognizes the enormity of what we are proposing here, it’s us. Hello, we run an online magazine! That said, we can also then proclaim: if we can do it, then so can you. So here is a collection of some notable tips on how we are making an effort to go screen-free:
1. Choose a day that is the least work/social-life oriented. We like Sundays!
2. Turn off your phone, computer, tablet, etc., and place them in a room that you don’t often use. Then physically close the door. Out of sight out of mind: simple, yet surprisingly effective.
3. Make good use of that “out of office” reply feature on your email. Feeling assured that no one will think they are being ignored makes going screen-free a whole lot easier.
4. Enlist the help of friends by making it a group game or bet; first one to power up pays the next round!
5. Get off the grid: make plans to head out of town, hike up a mountain, or check out an underground gallery. If phones won’t work anyhow, there is much less temptation.
6. Make the conscious decision, and stick to it. Like any challenge, this is going to take commitment, effort, and willpower. We know you can do it.
