With more time spent at home, we’ve become successfully re-immersed in our devices. Creating digital discipline is something we’ve been working on as a community since learning that clicking and scrolling interacts with brain chemistry in a way that mirrors addiction . The Bad Habits You've Picked up During the COVID-19 Pandemic
But because social media has become an easy distraction from the stress of our lives, it’s usually the first thing we pick up when we need a break from reality.
Unfortunately, obsessively reading coronavirus news (as many of us are doing when we pick up our phone or tablet) doesn’t help our mental health, and the increase in blue light exposure can drastically interfere with sleep patterns, which can spell trouble for immune function.
What to do instead:
Stay the course with digital discipline. Allow yourself to connect with friends, and maintain healthy social connections via technology (since we can’t do that in person right now), but set restrictions on mindlessly scrolling.
Physically set a timer to put down your phone after scrolling Instagram or Facebook, and move on to your next task. Which can be as simple as making a cup of tea–just something to reset the brain from scrolling.
And, do not read coronavirus news before bed if it’s something that contributes to your levels of anxiety. This is an act of self-care to ensure your nervous system stays in ‘rest and digest’ mode to promote a restful night’s sleep.
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