With the introduction of mobile phones, computers, TVs, and a wealth of additional electronic devices, unfortunately, comes a rise in screen time!
Whether an adult or a child, our reliance on such devices increases with each passing year. Therefore, it’s not much of a stretch to say most of our usual screen time extends to several hours a day.
But, though most of us find such gadgets an essential addition to our lives, it’s getting harder to dispute the links between screen time and a decrease in mental health.
The Draw and Power of the Screen
With every piece of data you can imagine available from the comfort of your screen, the temptation of such electronic devices is quite clear.
Never before have we all had so much information in the twenty-first century. All the content, media, and entertainment, we desire is readily available from the one screen!
Yet, over time, this has meant that our ability to create our own entertainment has reduced dramatically. Understandably, none of us ever must be bored again with online demand catering to our every whim.
But, with this loss of creativity, solitude, and patience come several negative aspects. Notably, many of us now find ourselves unable to detach from our screens throughout the day – even experiencing withdrawal symptoms when we do so.
As a result, our reliance on-screen time has started to encroach onto our mental well-being.
How Increased Screen Time Impacts on Our Mental Health
Quite simply, increased ongoing screen time affects our very basic human needs. This is a fact referred to by many a leading psychologist who has witnessed the fallout first-hand.
The human body is a machine that, to continue to do well, needs to stay well-oiled.
In both adults as well as children, this means:
- Getting the right amount of sleep and rest
- Being active throughout the day
- Eating a healthy and balanced diet
- Interacting socially with others in real-time
Yet, when any one of these needs becomes unbalanced, screen time begins to interfere with well-being. The most common culprit here is overstimulation.
This means rather than sleeping, we’re staying up later watching one more episode or checking out the latest YouTube video.
Rather than getting our recommended daily exercise fix, we’re sat in front of our screens. Or we’re lying on our beds, sedentary for a great deal of the day.
Snacks have replaced healthy food so we can eat in front of our screens. Or we eat more convenience food, so we spend less time prepping for the same reason.
But perhaps one of the most problematic issues concerning mental health is that we’re not interacting with others.
For all the electronic communication and likes made online, we humans are social creatures and crave a level of real-time socialization. This is just something a screen cannot replace.
The Rise of Screen Time in an Ever-Changing World
The reality is that we’re living in a world where many of us need to access screens as part of our everyday life. Furthermore, with pandemics such as the recent COVID, for many, the screen has become their lifeline.
Some people find they are now relying solely on screens for work, while others find screens are their only means of communicating with the outside world.
Unfortunately, it’s also fair to say that many of us, at times, find life behind the screens that little bit safer. This is especially so for children during school holiday times and adults in the evenings.
Therefore, if we’re to ensure that more screen time to come doesn’t continue to affect our mental health status, they need to find a way to live side by side.
Creating a Good Balance of Screen Time and Positive Mental Health Status
The key here is to find that balance. Perhaps so quickly spoken but harder to action, perseverance here is vital. This means looking at a solution to create a healthier long-term scenario.
Undeniably, screens are addictive, and as humans, we all have addictive tendencies. However, like any addiction, they can be overcome. Though the idea isn’t to eliminate them entirely here, you can build a healthy balance:
- Recognize your addiction to your screen. Be honest with yourself about the time you use a screen. Watch how often your hand reaches for your device throughout the day. Log the time spent on your favorite apps.
- Take a minute to reassess your overall health and wellbeing. Are you tired all day? Is your health suffering? Do you find yourself becoming more and more withdrawn from those around you?
- Commit to making a change. For example, if you’re waking tired every day after spending hours watching clips on your phone all night, switch off your devices before you get into bed.
- Try to find another form of activity to sit alongside your screen time. So, instead of reading on your device, pick up a physical book in its place. When you’re tempted to scroll through your media feeds, get out and take a walk. At dinner time, leave the screen and sit around the table to eat instead.
No-one can deny the power of the screen and its lure. But we can all recognize this power and actively decide to balance it out for the sake of our mental health and well-being.
Erin shows overscheduled, overwhelmed women how to do less so that they can achieve more. Traditional productivity books—written by men—barely touch the tangle of cultural pressures that women feel when facing down a to-do list. How to Get Sh*t Done will teach you how to zero in on the three areas of your life where you want to excel, and then it will show you how to off-load, outsource, or just stop giving a damn about the rest.
Thank you for sharing this information. It is really useful for me to learn more new things & I am really gonna try this out!!!
The article was amazing and I kept reading it with great anticipation from the beginning up to the end. Just loved your work
I respect the value of your post. I look forward to more detailed posts like this one!
I’ve made the first step – recognized addiction to the screen. There’s not much left 🙂
That is often a problem with keeping a routine, people thinking that if they screw up once the routine is ruined and they might as well binge on a liter of icecream after the burger and pizza.
I’ve been taking these for about 3 weeks I have no complaints one thing I did notice if anyone has the same issue my appetite is a bit off In the mornings I am extremely hungry after taking them but throughout the day I’m pretty good but in the evening I get extremely hungry again.
This can include a wide variety of different habits. Spend your time with your loved one, use fresh fruits, increase the use of water and sleep a full night then our mental health remains healthy.
I’ve been taking these for about 3 weeks I have no complaints one thing I did notice if anyone has the same issue my appetite is a bit off In the mornings I am extremely hungry after taking them but throughout the day I’m pretty good but in the evening I get extremely hungry again.
We often increase the intensity of our feelings because we run away from them. We make ourselves busy to avoid sitting with what is happening in our mind. The busier you are, the more tired you become, and the less able you will feel to cope. It will feel counter-intuitive, but give yourself permission to recover and regain your emotional strength.
The technology today is unlimited, it makes life easier.
Spend your time with your loved one, use fresh fruits, increase the use of water and sleep a full night then our mental health remains healthy.
Spend your time with your loved one, use fresh fruits, increase the use of water and sleep a full night then your mental health remains healthy.
I think rest is must for a person to be healthy.
에볼루션카지노
392XGBgzj:>\
에볼루션바카라
320nOtGug~!}
에볼루션룰렛
709mlqzDR;/^
에볼루션블랙잭185TFhbwv#<?
I have no complaints one thing I did notice if anyone has the same issue my appetite is a bit off In the mornings I am extremely hungry after taking them but throughout the day I’m pretty good but in the evening I get extremely hungry again.independent support worker ndis
Unfortunately, it’s also fair to say that many of us, at times, find life behind the screens that little bit safer. Anabolic Steroids Shop
You have nice content on this website. I glad to read. please keep it up. – John Deere 5050d
This post is very informative for mental health adjustment., increase the use of water and sleep a full night then our mental health remains healthy.
강남카지노바강남카지노,강남바카라,서울카지노,강남카빠
It’s a nice article, Which you have shared here . Your article is very informative and I really liked the way you expressed your views in this post. Thank you. Exclusive Decor Service in Alwar
It’s a nice article, Which you have shared here . Your article is very informative and I really liked the way you expressed your views in this post. Thank you. Exclusive Decor Service in Alwar