Tech Time Out: Finding Balance in a Digital World
As a massage therapist focused on stress relief and wellness, I recently embarked on a month-long social media break and reduced my overall tech use. This experience, combined with insights from books like Catherine Price's "How to Break Up with Your Phone," Cal Newport's "Digital Minimalism," and Jonathan Haidt's "The Anxious Generation," taught me valuable lessons about digital wellness that I'm excited to share with you.
The Core Principle: Devices Are Tools, Not Masters
My fundamental approach to technology is simple: devices should be tools that support us, not control us. This might sound obvious, but consider this: teams of experts are paid handsomely to make apps increasingly addictive through alerts, personalized content, and seamless accessibility. As a massage therapist and yoga instructor for over a decade, I've observed firsthand how this constant digital engagement affects our stress responses.
Remember the saying we used years ago: "Your Blackberry is not a bear." While our bodies are designed to handle stress, they're meant to experience it in cycles – face the threat (like a bear chasing us), then rest and recover. Today's devices often create an endless stress cycle, leaving many feeling perpetually "on" and always reachable.
7 Practical Steps for a Healthier Relationship with Technology
1. Try a Tech Time Out
Begin small – try 10 minutes daily or during meals. Gradually extend to half-day or full-day breaks. For those concerned about emergency contacts, most phones allow you to set "VIP" notifications. In my massage practice, only calls from my husband and daycare come through between client sessions.
2. Embrace Grayscale
Switch your phone display to black and white to reduce its addictive appeal. On iPhone, this can be set up as an accessibility shortcut (System Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut). I find this especially useful when my three-year-old uses my phone – three quick clicks transform it into a less stimulating device.
3. Minimize Notifications
Ask yourself: Do these alerts and notifications keep you informed, or just distracted? Unless you're awaiting crucial information (like a friend in labor!), consider turning off notifications. Those little red circles with numbers? They might be triggering unnecessary stress responses. Most of us don’t need to know that we have thousands of unread emails and those alerts keep us feeling like our to-do list is never ending.
4. Reassess Social Media
While I maintain social media for professional purposes (like sharing our #twominutetuesdaymassage), consider whether it truly enriches your life. If not, you have options:
Set app time limits in your phone settings
Delete mobile apps (especially for social media) and only access these sites from your desktop
Regularly reorganize social media app locations to break automatic checking habits
5. Create a Mindful Lock Screen
Did you know that people check their phone 58 times a day on average? Create a mindful lock screen by write a simple question like "What did you come here to do?" or "What are you feeling?" Take a photo or screenshot and set it as your lock screen. This creates a moment of pause before habitually checking your phone and lets you notice which emotions or situations drive you to your phone most frequently. This idea comes from the book “How to Break Up with Your Phone”
6. Organize Apps Intentionally
Think of your phone like a well-organized kitchen – everything should have its place. During a recent meditation retreat, I created a special "Focus" setting with access to only essential apps. Consider arranging your apps by purpose or frequency of use, hiding those that tend to be time-wasters.
7. Get a Real Alarm Clock
This $10 investment changed my digital habits dramatically. Keeping phones out of the bedroom prevents both late-night scrolling and morning information overload, allowing your brain proper time to wind down and wake up naturally.
Starting Your Digital Wellness Journey
The key to taming technology is starting small. Choose one strategy from above and implement it today. Remember, we're all different – what works for one person might not work for another.
I'd love to hear about your experiences with digital wellness. What strategies have helped you maintain a healthy relationship with technology? Share your thoughts next time you're in for a massage, or drop me a note.
Your body knows when it needs a break – from both physical and digital stress. Listen to it.
