The onslaught of family, friends and social events that
occurs during the holidays is enough to make even the most social person want
to sneak away and enjoy some alone time. However, if your idea of relaxing
during the festive madness translates into checking in on Facebook, drooling
over Insta-worthy photos or playing a marathon video game session, it might be
time to back away from the electronics and start unplugging for the holidays
instead.
Benefits of Unplugging
Unplugging for the holidays is more than just sticking your
smartphone or other tech devices into another room for a few hours. Instead,
it’s about making a concerted effort to give your brain a break and allow
yourself to enjoy life’s smaller pleasures:
• the
company of loved ones
• truly
enjoying a meal without first snapping photos of it
• even just
having some mental downtime
If that sounds a little hokey for you, there are actually
scientific benefits to disconnecting and plugging back into real life:
1. Say Goodbye to Nomophobia
Does putting down your phone give you FOMO? If so, you’re
not alone.
About half of American adults check their phones numerous
times an hour — in fact, nearly one in 10 Americans has used his or her phone
during intimate moments!
Welcome to the world of nomophobia, or the fear of being
without your smartphone.
Reducing your screen time means you’ll have less time to
waste on things like cat videos and more to spend on things you’ve been putting
off because you “have no free time,” like baking more, trying out a new hobby
or just unwinding with a good book. It might take some time to get used to, but
soon you’ll find yourself keeping your phone switched off more than on.
2. Reduce Anxiety
If you’re already stressed, too much tech time can make you
feel more anxious and increase levels of depression.
The pressure of waiting for a new like, the seemingly
endless social media scrolling — it can eventually take a toll on mental
health. Luckily, unplugging for the holidays can reverse those effects.
Because anxiety can lead to a host of side effects, from
headaches and trouble sleeping to an elevated heart rate, which can lead to
heart disease, seize any opportunity (or these handy natural stress relievers)
to decrease it! You’ll feel better, and your body will thank you, too — as will
your family members, who will appreciate the more cheerful you!
3. Your Brain Will Focus Better
Do you find yourself switching between apps, talking on the
phone while playing computer games or simply trying to listen to that story
your partner is telling you while checking tomorrow’s weather? All that
multitasking is doing things to your brain, and they aren’t good.
See, our brains aren’t actually designed to multitask, and
we don’t actually do it. What happens instead is that our minds just shift
focus super quickly, losing cognitive function in the process.
In fact, people who multitask tend to be more stressed and
impulsive than their one-track-mind counterparts, likely because multitasking
can increase production of the stress hormone cortisol along with adrenaline.
Shutting off your technological tempters will allow you to
practice mindfulness and give all your attention to what’s happening in front
of you, whether it’s playing with your nieces and nephews or enjoying that
delicious bite of apple pie. You might notice that you remember small details a
bit better, as your brain is able to focus on the task at hand and process info
more quickly.
4. Get More Sleep
Watching Netflix in bed or checking your email one last time
is ruining your shut-eye. The screens on your favorite gadgets emit a blue
light.
To your brain, blue light is the same as daylight and acts
to stifle the production of melatonin. That’s a big deal, because melatonin is
the hormone that’s responsible for setting our sleep-wake cycles, or circadian
rhythms.
menshealthupdates womensdayblog usweeklyblog myfavouriteceleb technologydominator
