Is it time you considered a digital detox?

For those of your who don’t know I have a background in IT.  This means I am very comfortable with technology and love my smartphone.  However I am for once a month to do a digital detox the reason is that I recognise that I live in an “always on” society.  I am inundated on a daily basis with social media updates, text messages and emails.  What’s worse are “always on” society ecpects us to be contactable at all times and to respond immediatley.  Its no surprise that research has found a link between heavy smarphone usage and increased anxiety.

Did you know that smartphones are actually designed to distract us?  They rob our brains of vitally important downtime preventing them from being creative.  A digital detox allows my brain to reachage and focus on the present.  No one needs to give you permission to go off grid for half a day and you don’t need to feel guilty either.

A digital detox can start simply as 45 minutes without using a smartphone, laptop, tablet or other device one evening a week and then build up slowly to a couple of hours.  I find regular digital detox is hugely beneficial to my state of mind and can be easily incorporated into your routine.

Reference

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4500888/

Related Posts

  • Mundane superfoods – part 4

    This week I explain how to replace goji berries.

    Rose Hips can replace Goji Berries

    Goji berries are renowned for having a lot of vitamin C. Originally from Asia, they were used by the ancients to replenish body fluids, improve skin and soothe jangled nerves. The bush-like plant belongs to the nightshade family of plants with tomatoes and peppers and is reputed to be beneficial for insomnia, tuberculosis and to increase testosterone. On the other hand, rose hips, contain so much vitamin C, aka ascorbic acid, they're actually known to be the most abundant source in the world, which explains why they're so sought after by many markets. It was only in the last several decades that anyone thought to consider if there might be actual nutrition in rose hips. Once used in animal food, today they're an ingredient in jams, jellies and pie, as well as soups, bread and wine. Bon Appetit adds:
    "The hips, like the petals, are high in flavonoids, those small but mighty antioxidant friends. Like nettle, rose hips are anti-inflammatory. The pectin in rose hips also make it a heart healthy medicine … "
    Mother Nature Network adds vitamins A and E to rose hips' benefits, so they can be made into tea or even eaten to help treat colds and sore throat. Because they also contain free radical-fighting antioxidants, the anti-inflammatory properties can even treat rheumatoid arthritis. The odd pods also contain pectin, which is good for your heart. Organic Facts reveals more advantages of consuming rose hips in some form, including an ability to optimize cholesterol, boost your immune system, prevent chronic disease such as cancer, regulate your blood sugar and eliminate toxins. References   Bon Appétit July 19, 2017 Mother Nature Network July 6, 2011 International Society for Horticultural Science Organic Facts 2017  
  • DIY help for text or tech neck

    In clinic I find neck pain is really common and while I see results, its always interesting to see what the latest research has to say.

  • Bates Method – Part 1

    For most people their sight is their most important sense.  This is probably due to the fact that about 80% of the information we take in via our sense is through our eyes. If you have impaired vision as I do, we all know the standard options:

    1. Glasses
    2. Contact lens
    3. Laser Eye Surgery
    There is one more option, the Bates Method that most people aren’t aware of.  Developed by a New York ophthalmologist he published his method in 1919 (yes 1919!).   People with
    • Myopia or short-sightedness
    • Hypermertropia or long-sightedness
    • Presbyopia or “old-age” sight i.e. loss of reading vision as you get older
    • Astigmatism
    have all responded to the Bates Method. In 1957, C A Hackett a Bates Method Teacher (the Bates Method is a instruction manual), analysed 10 years of her work in which she treated 2180 patients with problems with their eye sight.  She found 75%  achieved lasting improvement and 45% were able to do without their glasses completely. Right now you are probably thinking, “if this is so great, why haven’t I heard of it before?”.  That’s a good question, and the answer probably is because it’s a way of re-educating your eyesight.   Which means it takes time and definitely isn’t a quick fix.