Adults tend to focus on screen time for kids, but what about setting yourself up for some healthy screen time? Establishing boundaries around a digital lifestyle can help you be productive while you spend time online and more relaxed during your downtime. This article will help you maximize your screen time by setting healthy digital boundaries as an adult.
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Why Do I Need To Set Healthy Boundaries Around Screen Time As An Adult?
An article on People.com showed that humans spend as much as 44 years of their lives on a screen. Those same people said that less than 50% of that time was productive. To enjoy our digital and off-screen lives to the fullest, we must make our screen time as productive and enjoyable as possible.
There are also some adverse health effects around too much screen time, such as poor sleep, eye strain and headaches, and a shoulder or back pain risk. There’s even the chance that you exercise less if you spend so much time in front of your screen that you don’t have time to get out of the house and go for walks or enjoy other activities.
The less is more argument is also very accurate for screen time. The less time you spend binging on Netflix or playing video games, the more you’ll enjoy it when you get the chance to do it. The less time you spend doomscrolling on Instagram, the more time you’ll enjoy it when you engage with your online communities.
How To Set Healthy Screen Times As An Adult
Fortunately, there are many ways to incentivise spending time away from your phone, TV, laptop, or tablet. Like kids, you can set up rewards to encourage you to associate spending time away from your phone as a positive. Read on to find out how to set healthy screen times as an adult.
Take Social Media Off Your Phone
Take Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and any other social media accounts on your phone and tablet. If you need to be switched on for business reasons, sit down at your laptop during the day when you need to use your social media. The temptation is removed if it’s not physically there on your device, which can help you reduce bad habits around being constantly tied to your phone.
Be Specific With What You See
Go through your social media accounts and see if there are any negative or triggering social media feeds you can take off your device. This is also incredibly important if you are undergoing treatment for depression or anxiety, as it can help you reduce the negative information you digest when scrolling through your phone.
One thing it’s worth adding here is that it’s good to engage with content you disagree with. It’s just good if that content isn’t harmful. Start curating your social media feeds so that when you engage with social media, it will only make you feel more optimistic.
Use A Screen Time App
Many productivity and screen time apps can work on your tablet, iPhone or laptop. A great one that incentivizes time away from your screen is ForestApp. For every set period of time that you spend away from your phone, the app will grow you a virtual tree and even plant one in the real world. You can enjoy time away from your phone and grow your digital forest.
Immerse Yourself In Nature
Getting outside in nature is a great way to give yourself a digital reset. At least 15-30 minutes outside a day is recommended to enjoy the health-boosting rays of the sun. If you find it hard to get outdoors for long periods of time, try lots of little 10-minute walks throughout the day to enjoy a mood boost and some digital-free time.
Complete One Task At A Time
Within the screen time you have set yourself, try to complete one task at a time. If you’re watching TV while firing off that email, you will be distracted and take longer to complete a task. Be clear about what tasks you will complete in that set period of time, and focus on getting them done.
Take Regular Breaks
The golden rule of maximizing screen time is taking at least 10-minute breaks between every hour you spend on a screen. In those ten minutes, avoid staring at your phone or the TV, and make sure that you use them to unplug and give your eyes a little break. You could use that time to go for a walk or make yourself a drink.
Do What Makes You Feel Good
If you have extra screen hours outside your working day that you want to use, make sure you take the time to do the things that make you feel good. If you feel good sitting down with a cup of coffee and browsing social media feeds, go for it. If you want to spend half an hour playing a video game, go for it. Do the things you enjoy; just make sure you set some boundaries.
Don’t Use Screens To Combat Stress
Just like comfort food, screen time can often be a default way for us to combat stress. If you’ve had a stressful day at work, it can be tempting to binge-watch that Netflix episode or blindly look at social media. If you’ve argued over dinner, it can be tempting to stare at your phone rather than engage in conversation.
Sit with your feelings, go outside or talk to people rather than resort to screens to combat stress. Or if it does help with stress, try to do this within your screen time rather than breaking your newly found good habits.
Conclusion
Controlling screen time for kids is as important as managing the time you spend online as an adult. Be conscious of the time you spend online, and set boundaries to ensure the time you spend online is rewarding or productive.
Curate your social media feeds to avoid negative energy, and try to remove social channels from your phone to avoid temptation. Make time for nature, and move away from screens for stress relief. Take control of your screen time to enjoy productive and rewarding time in your digital and off-screen world.
