During the quarantine period, many of us have been constantly glued to our screens. But using technology and being online excessively—whether for work or leisure—can result in physical and emotional burnout.
As much as it is important to keep yourself up-to-date with the latest happenings, being glued to your gadgets can take a toll on your health. It’s okay to take a social media break every now and then. Here are some digital wellbeing tips from Google to help us balance screen time and reduce digital fatigue.
Use your voice
It’s hard to put your phone down once you’ve held onto it. To minimize getting distracted by your device, use Google Assistant so you can easily accomplish tasks on your phone hands-free. For instance, when you need to check the time, just simply say, “Hey Google, what time is it?” You can even say it in Filipino, “Hey Google, anong oras na?”
Another thing you can do with the virtual assistant is create custom Routines to trigger several actions with one command.
Find active alternatives
Working remotely means getting many video calls. To avoid fatigue, you should schedule breaks in between virtual meetings to rest your mind. The World Health Organization recommends getting at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week. So if you can, spend your breaks by going for a quick run, bike ride, or a taking a walk while answering a call.
To monitor your progress, use the Google Fit app to keep track of your workout and earn heart points.
Discuss and plan tech use with kids
If you have kids, it is important to monitor their online activities and daily screen time. There’s tons of kid-friendly content online, and you can use it to plan out activities for listening, watching, and playing on your children’s devices. Check out this family guide to initiate conversation with your kids on smart online habits.
Intentionally detach from and reattach to work
It’s important to find a balance between work and leisure while you’re working from home. Before jumping to your tasks, take a few minutes to review your to-do list and go through your goals for the day. In addition, make sure to take breaks. During break time, turn off notifications and place your laptop out of sight so you won’t be distracted to check work emails.
Create a consistent bedtime routine
Whether on weekdays or weekends, train your body to go to bed and wake up on a schedule like how you did before working from home. Use a sleep tracker to create a bedtime routine and track when you naturally wake up. Android’s Bedtime mode can help you set a schedule, which automatically turns on the Do Not Disturb mode and fades the screen to grayscale at your chosen time.
For more digital wellbeing resources, visit wellbeing.google.
