DIGITAL BURNOUT/FATIGUE - by Mwambo Kate

Do you usually feel ‘blah’ while mindlessly scrolling for hours on Instagram/Facebook? 🙋🏽🙋🏽‍♀️ Nowadays many of us spend all day online , then go straight from our laptops to Netflix , with a phone in our hand all the while , and our minds and bodies are feeling the impact . Digital burnout is the state of mental exhaustion brought on by the excessive and concurrent use of multiple digital tools , such as apps and screens . This exhaustion can lead to a lack of energy , mind fragmentation, migraines or headaches, sore muscles especially in the neck, shoulders, and back ,feelings of hopelessness and worn out by endless virtual meetings and events , increased sensitivity to light and the list goes on. Digital burnouts happen because , virtual interactions can be extremely damaging on the brain , digital devices emit significant amounts of blue light which can be hard on the eyes and because we spend alot of time sitting while engaging on digital devices which can be hard on the body . One of the root cause of digital burnout is poor digital hygiene . How do we then engage with our devices so that we don’t end the day being drained? If we don’t employ good digital hygiene practices , we’re not going to have optimal mental presence and focus and we’ll burn out . Digital burnout is real . Here are a few digital hygiene tips I’ve used to build + maintain a healthy relationship with my devices . 1️⃣ Re-evaluate your relationship with notifications . there’s no reason your device should detect where your energy goes. Turn them all off , then ask which ones you really need in order to function properly during the day . 2️⃣ Adjust your settings so that your phone is less likely to draw you in . You could turn off colour and put your device in gray scale . Keep the brightness as low as possible . You’ll notice your phone is less stimulating . 3️⃣ Find pockets of time throughout the day to be physically away from your device . If you’re used to your device being by your side ,trying keeping it out of sight . 4️⃣ Doing away with unnecessary social medial apps , unfollowing accounts and minimizing the number of notifications you’re bombarded with on your mobile phones can help a great deal in keeping burnout at bay . 5️⃣ Take small breaks throughout while working on screens , but also ensure that these are helpful and not just an excuse to check instagram/Facebook on your phone . I would rather you take breathing exercises during these breaks which will help refresh you for a busy day ahead . 6️⃣ Incorporate habits and routines like “screen-free ‘’ family dinners, dates etc. Encourage loved ones to keep their phones away while eating and instead engage in conversations ! While catching up with friends over drinks , make sure to keep WiFi off and enjoy life ‘’ offline ‘’ Our ultimate goal should be finding a unique balance of healthy tech habits . You can’t be talking on everyone on every social platform . Learn to take a break, you’ll miss nothing . Meet real people , go for coffee , read a book or something. Share this insight with someone who needs to hear this.

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