Top 5 struggles with Digital Wellness

My audience & clients generally come to me & say that ‘You are a Digital Wellness expert so you must have all your screens & technology in control’.

But, I wanted to be vulnerable & share that like each & everyone of you even I also struggle with my Digital Wellness & Screens. Nobody is perfect & even I have my share of struggles with Screens.

Following are some of the common struggles I face:

1. Multitasking ‘Myth’

   1. There are times when I have too many things on my plate & have to multitask to ‘keep on top of them’. But, deep down I know multitasking is really hampering my productivity

   2. I am in boring meetings & I feel like doing something else parallelly to be ‘productive’ (which I’m not :) )

2. Conquering ‘Strong’ Internal Triggers

   1. Some days when I’m having a bad day, the internal triggers or feelings like boredom, loneliness, etc. get so strong that it becomes too difficult to conquer. In this case, going to screens becomes the natural ‘default’

3. Taking frequent breaks

   1. Sometimes I have back-to-back online meetings & it takes tough to take a micro-break to recharge

   2. There are days when I’m too absorbed in my work & I forget to take frequent breaks from screens

4. Distraction from apps like WhatsApp

   1. For a long time, I struggled with WhatsApp checking it every 30 mins/1 hr. I was constantly distracted from WhatsApp.

5. Lack of Boundaries with Technology

   1. There are some times when I have to wake up early in the morning or stay up late in night & I tend to check my phone as a default  

We are all humans & struggles are part & parcel of life.

If things don’t go your way, cut yourself some slack. Understand the importance of self-compassion :). We need to be kind to ourselves.

The important thing is we learn from our struggles & mistakes. For e.g., I learned that WhatsApp was very distracting for me. I decided to remove it from my phone & only use it from a desktop app. The decision has really helped me be more mindful & intentional of using WhatsApp & not a default thing to open every time I open my phone.

Lastly, remember the 80% rule in life. Even if you are following a healthy food diet 80% of the time you will be healthy in life. Similarly, when it comes to your screens if you are following healthy practices 80% of the time you will lead a healthy digital life.

This is something that I successfully practice & keep reminding myself.

Would love to know your struggles with screens & technology in the comments section :)

- Rijul Arora