5 Tips to Stop Your Devices Impacting Your Health

 Your devices are perhaps the most important things in your life, aside from your family and friends, of course. After all, where would you be without them? How would you stay up-to-date on the latest gossip, or how would you know what your kids are getting up to now they’ve moved out? There are plenty of benefits to your devices, which is why they have become such a vital aspect of daily life, but like anything else, they aren’t perfect.

And this is not exactly news, but people can still encounter unexpected health issues when they spend too much time on their device or even just near it. If you feel like you’re using your phone or laptop too much, or maybe you’ve encountered some negative effects, here is some advice to help you mitigate the negative impact of your favourite toys. 

Slow Laptop Stress 

Anyone who works in a fast-paced industry knows how frustrating it is when your laptop slows down to the point of not moving. It can take an age to load a webpage. You are scared to update your computer in case it never switches back on or takes days for the reboot to finish, and this can severely impact your workday. 

Being unable to finish projects on time is bound to cause anyone stress, but it isn’t just work-related stress. If you want to chat with friends on the other side of the country or play a game to unwind, you should learn how to speed up your macOS or Windows software to avoid this stress and help you use your laptop for its intended purpose. 

Switch Off Social Media 

By now, you know the relationship between social media and mental health and how much it can impact you. You might also think that you are getting by okay. You don’t see anything you don’t want to see so you’re not jealous of bikini bodies or exotic adventures. 

But, social media can still affect you in other ways you might not realize. Triggering headlines and content designed to specifically rile you up are all potential problems you’ll face on Twitter or Facebook. If you notice more negativity than you’re used to, it’s probably time to switch off social media for now. 

Replace Your Scrolling 

The individual who designed the endless scrolling feature on web pages has gone on record regretting his invention, admitting that it has caused internet addiction. He has a point. It’s so easy to look at one more post until suddenly it’s time for bed, and even then you can’t tear yourself away. 

So, it’s no wonder that so many people ignore a healthy lifestyle, but what about replacing your scrolling to get your health and fitness back on track and help you get off the sofa? You can replace scrolling with something active like push-ups or even going for a walk, which will help you maintain a healthier lifestyle. 

Filter the Light 

If you struggle to get to sleep, it could be because you sit up in bed scrolling or playing games on your phone or tablet. This has proven to be an issue as the blue light tricks your brain into thinking it’s still time for you to be awake. The light makes you assume it’s the middle of the day, which makes it more difficult for you to get to sleep, and this can severely affect your well-being and energy levels. 

Some phones come with nighttime blue light filters but if not, you can find blue light filters to download to your device. These dim the screen with a sepia-like tone that is gentler on your eyes so you can ease your way into a nighttime routine. 

Leave Your Phone In Your Bag 

Finally, if you struggle to focus on anything, perhaps it’s time to leave your phone as far from you as possible, especially at work. You have plenty to do, so you can’t waste time checking messages or social media, because not much has happened recently, anyway. 

Keeping your phone or other devices away will force you to focus. Eventually, this will help you improve productivity and maintain attention levels, and you won’t need to have your phone close by ever again. 

Healthy Living 

You don’t need to throw your laptop and phone out and live as you did back in the 90s. Like many things in life, you need to find a balance that works for you. Even if you think you can’t live without your devices, you’ll quickly discover that you don’t need to rely on them as much as you thought, and this can be the first step toward freeing yourself and improving your health.