Top Screen Time Management Tips for Those with Mental Health Conditions

As technology continues to develop at a rapid pace, it’s virtually impossible to avoid screens and digital devices. From work to leisure time, it has become all too easy to spend hours on end looking at a screen without considering the impact on your health.

By being more aware of your devices’ impacts, you can get a better handle on limiting the harm they do. In this post, we share our top tips for screen time management, with a particular focus on protecting your mental health.

How can screen time affect mental health?

When considering the impacts of excessive screen time, it’s often easier to notice the physical effects on health. Eye strain, headaches, neck and back pains, and poor sleep health can result from spending too much time in front of digital devices.

However, misuse of social media can also have serious consequences for your emotional wellbeing. Too much usage can contribute to issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, and low self-esteem. Fortunately, we can form healthier relationships with our digital devices to protect our mental health.

Filter your feeds

The adverse impact of social media on mental health doesn’t necessarily come directly from screen time but from what we see online. Feelings of anxiety or low self-esteem can be magnified by too much exposure to negative or disturbing content. When you’re already feeling vulnerable, improper use of social media can cause long-lasting harm to wellbeing.

You may find it helpful to limit the time you spend on news apps. The modern approach to the 24-hour news cycle can be overwhelming for some, especially when so much of the news is bad. Whether you reduce your use of these platforms or personalize the apps to screen out certain stories or categories, find an approach that works for you.

Filtering your feeds should reduce the negative impact on your mood, helping you form a healthier relationship with your digital devices.

Turn off notifications

If you struggle to maintain your focus and are easily distracted by digital devices, it may be worth limiting the notifications you receive. While these notifications may seem harmless, they can still negatively impact your mental health. By turning off notifications, you can regain control over your screen time and improve your overall wellbeing.

Without constant interruptions, we can focus on our tasks and avoid the distractions that may lead to stress and anxiety. It’s essential to limit notifications at night, as too much screen use can be detrimental to your health, and lack of sleep can worsen any existing mental health issues.

Managing screen time gives us more time to pursue activities that nourish our minds and bodies, enhancing mental health. So, the next time you feel overwhelmed by the constant buzz of notifications, consider turning them off and reap the benefits of a more consciously managed screen time regime.

Limit screen time in social situations

When you struggle with mental health, isolating yourself from the world and limiting in-person social interactions can be easy to do. Although this may feel like the best option at the time, shutting down can only worsen feelings of loneliness, which can further harm your mental state. That’s why it’s vital to get the most from your social interactions by remaining present and in the moment.

Constantly checking your phone or responding to notifications while in a social setting will reduce the value you can get from these interactions and intensify feelings of isolation. Even if you’re just eating a meal with family, disconnecing yourself from your screens will help you maintain that human connection we all need to lead happy, healthy lives.

About the Author: George Haines is a Senior Social Media Officer and has gained valuable experience in the industry. Through a series of online posts, he aims to share his expertise with his readers to help everyone foster a better relationship with digital platforms.

Photo by Oladimeji Ajegbile: https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-smartphone-3207442/

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