A lot of people feel nowadays that technology is getting in the way of their personal well being with constant app notifications you can only dream of the day you go on a ‘Digital Detox’, but it is becoming somehow impossible in this day and age.
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Being addicted to social media is often looked at as a bad thing and it is argued that this generation are becoming more indulged in their phone but not actually interacting with the real world around them.
Taking social media with a pinch of salt is a must, as it allows you to connect with people in different geographic locations and industries in an easy and simple way! After taking a look at studies, it has been demonstrated that spending time with people who make you happy can support positive mental health and reduce stress.
Encouragement AND criticism is a necessity to increasing personal well being. If you read an article online simply liking it or sharing the article can boost the authors followers on social media and will make them happier knowing people are appreciating their posts. However, a pro athlete would probably want criticism, as without that how would they know how to improve. Each person is different so make sure you account for that before you go harshly criticising someone about a piece of work they’ve spent a long-time on.
Flourish
Technology is adapting the way we live so why not grasp it with both hands! With modern apps giving you the ability to track your way of living, you can easily monitor yourself to optimise your health goals and progress. Check out apps such as MyFitnessPal which can track your calorie intake if you want to make an improvement on your eating habits. You can also join BodySpace where you can share your progress and be proud of achievements you have made. Or perhaps next time you step onto that treadmill get on an upbeat playlist on as it can make you less aware of physical discomfort, lifting your mood and pushing you to work out harder. So here we are demonstrating how you should use tech to flourish and thrive in a world where technology is constantly evolving.
Rest
It’s plain and simple, sleep is a scientifically proven factor that everyone needs every day to stay happy. Is there anything worse than the feeling of jumping awake because of your loud fog horn alarm beeping in your ear? It could be a possibility that your body hasn’t completed it’s full sleep cycle, so why not download Sleep Cycle – Sleep Better. An app that collects data about your sleep, how much deep and REM sleep you are getting and how long it takes you to fall asleep, but will also wake you up in a selected slot when you are you are in your lightest sleep. Take a look below.
Struggle to sleep at night? You’ve probably all heard of the bright light that your phones produce keeping your brain awake and therefore you are not able to get to sleep because your brain is still active. In fact it is true, the light from the screen suppresses the production of melatonin, a sleep-regulating hormone. The solution? There is a dimming tool on your phone that automatically yellows your screen after a certain time and if you use your laptop at night, download F.lux.
Produce
Workflow in the workplace is something that can often get disrupted. Whether it’s the fact you have too many tabs open or someone strikes up a conversation, it is proven that that task-switching can reduce productivity by up to 40 per cent.
Multiple tabs and multitasking is proven to create high stress as it creates higher disruption so it isn’t giving your brain chance to fully focus on one task.To increase productivity use OneTab, this converts all of your tabs into a to do list. By reducing clutter it allows you to work through your tasks in order, as we all know how long we can spend on certain websites if you go off on a tangent.
Checking emails is an important part of your day-to-day work life, but checking them too often can cause distraction. Try to keep to 3 times a day, this has shown an amazing impact on wellbeing.
Social media platforms are an obvious distraction, the moment you have a notification it pops up on your tab. Why not check out StayFocusd an Google chrome extension used to block certain websites, ideal if you have a specific deadline that needs to be completed.
Knowledge
Learning is a key factor to making us happier. As little as it seems, remember how good that feeling is when you acquire a new skill or learn a small fact however small it may be it can make a great impact on your day! Scientists have in fact discovered that our brains retain a degree of plasticity into adulthood, so learning new skills literally rewires the brain and stimulates the production of neurons!
Take a look at learning a new topic or read a book, audio books are becoming increasingly used in everyday life. Audible gives you everything from books to podcasts, you can listen online or offline whilst driving or making breakfast to all types of themes and genres – so there really isn’t an excuse.
You can see an example of the Audible app here:
Here they are, 5 simple ways to increase your well being happy at home or in the workplace with multiple uses of technology.
Written by: Leah Cottham.
