The abuse of new technologies can lead to anxiety, stress, headaches, insomnia and addiction. Holidays are the perfect time to detox from technological routines and use the time to improve physical and mental well-being.
Traditionally, holidays were synonymous with disconnecting from it all. However, new technologies have changed this tendency. Several studies are now showing that technological routines increase by around 30% during the summer months. While the use of work-related apps stays around the same, others, like social networks increase enormously.
According to data from the Cigna 360 Wellbeing Survey, promoted by the health insurance company Cigna, 34% of Spaniards admit that the excessive use of mobile phones and tablets is having a negative impact on their social environment. And what’s more, 1 in 3 recognise that they can’t live without their mobile. The latest research shows that the excessive use of new technologies can in the long-term have several negative consequences for both the body and the mind: anxiety, stress, headache, overweight (caused by an disproportionate sedentary lifestyle), cervical damage, tired eyes, insomnia and even addiction.
The holiday period is undoubtedly the best time of the year to control these excesses and focus more on your health. For this reason, we has prepared seven tips to start an ‘Online Detox’ correctly:
- Turn off all pop-up notifications. Who can resist checking their phone when the screen lights up? It’s no secret that notifications affect our stress: device updates, mentions, contact status changes on social networks, hundreds of messages from Whatapp groups, unread emails, etc. The best solution here is to turn them all off, but if this isn’t possible, you can also benefit from applying some filters. For example, in the case of emails, you can set filters to only receive notifications from essential senders or that contain a particular keyword.
- Reposition the apps on your mobile. Clean the home screen of any work-related or time-consuming apps to avoid temptation. Instead, try putting other apps that are more in keeping with the holiday period and encourage you to enjoy your free time: leisure guides, apps for physical exercise, etc.
- Set online connection times. If you need to spend part of your holidays on the Internet, set yourself a strict online schedule. One good idea could be to activate alarms to make sure you don’t exceed the prearranged time (for example, one or two hours every morning). There are also apps to know, and even limit, the time spent using your mobile phone or a specific app.
- Do outdoor activities. One of the basic premises of a detox plan is to break with connection routines. Therefore, outdoor activities are the best allies, as they combine fun and health: taking a walk, hiking, going on an excursion, cycling, roller-skating, swimming, sunbathing (always in moderation and with adequate protection), etc. When you’re doing outdoor activities remember to turn off your phone, or better still, leave it at home. According to experts, simply switching off your mobile phone for a few hours helps reduce blood pressure, heart rate and the production of stress hormones like cortisol.
- Return to traditional holidays. If we really want to enjoy holidays as we did just a decade ago, the best way to do it is by bringing our online detox plan with us. Use a camera instead of your phone to take pictures, send postcards instead of Whatsapps, use a map or a tourist guide of the city you’re visiting, listen to the radio or buy the print edition of the local newspaper. All of these are great ideas to really help you with your online detox.
- Choose accommodation where you can disconnect from the world. Accommodation offering online detox packages known as ‘black holes’ are now seen as a trendy alternative. These places don’t have Wi-Fi, and you have to leave all your electronic devices at reception when you arrive. Some of them don’t even have mobile coverage, but usually offer complementary activities like hiking, cycling, paragliding, along with relaxation and beauty treatments.
- Turn off your mobile at bedtime. This routine will improve the quality of your sleep and your mood. The light from the screens has been shown to reduce the production of the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin, prolong the length of time it takes a person to fall asleep, delay REM sleep and increase alertness at night. In fact, it’s recommended to stop using these type of devices at least two hours before going to bed as they can cause hyperexcitement in the brain.
