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Ideal for taking a moment to pause, calm down and reset. Reconnecting with yourself can be a piece of cake – try it!

When was the last time you put aside all distractions and consciously took a timeout just for yourself? Most of us spend large parts of their days online and on technological devices – either for work, to connect with friends, for fun, information, shopping or games. The current pandemic has even increased this tendency.

Although research has long recognized that screen time isn’t inherently “evil” and that it makes no sense to treat the multitude of things that people can do on their screens as one and the same, we should not forget the mental and psychological benefits of disconnecting from time to time.

Breaks from your devices

For example, an experiment from 2018¹ found that the positive, recharging effect that a break in nature has on our attention capacity is canceled out if electronic devices are used during that break. So keep in mind that when you spend time in nature, but also during quality time with your family and friends, your phone, laptop and other devices should be put aside every now and then. So taking a short break and putting our devices away is not only a great way to come to rest, It also gives your brain time to recharge, so that afterwards, you can take on your challenges and tasks of the day with new energy.

A study by Graham et al.² also suggests that people who consistently limited their social media use for a week reported slightly higher than those who didn’t. This difference was partly explained by the better sleep quality that people who limited their use experienced. So we recommend that you keep an eye on your sleeping habits: do you have trouble falling asleep because you’re on your phone or you ponder upon news and messages? Then it might be time to stop looking at social media or to put your devices aside altogether an hour before you go to bed – in this time you could, for example, read a book, write a journal, do yoga or listen to music – anything that relaxes you, allows you to reflect on your day and gives your mind time to calm down.

Nomophobia

But hold up: does the thought of putting your phone aside during a break, let alone several times a week, make you nervous? Then you are not alone: NOMOPHOBIA (NO MObile PHOne phoBIA) is recognized as a psychological condition. Affected people experience strong anxiety and can have trouble breathing, start to tremble or sweat and feel disoriented when they don’t have their phone or are disconnected from the internet³.

Luckily, various studies indicate that there are strategies that help people to be less distracted by their smartphones, as well as to fight symptoms of Nomophobia. For example, mood tracking, self-monitoring and mindfulness training have been shown to help decrease stress and anxiety, while increasing self-awareness and mindful attention^4,5.

Learn More

Wonder if you suffer from Nomophobia? Then you can take the Nomophobia test.
BUT: Be sure to take the test results with a grain of salt – no online test can ever be used to self-diagnose! If your device- or social media use habits are causing you prolonged emotional distress and discomfort, be sure to seek advice from a medical professional.

Do you want to start meditating but don’t know how? The Headspace guide to Meditation (available on Netflix) could be a good place to start. You don’t have Netflix? Here’s a list of free meditation resources.

Finally, here are some ideas for self-care routines:
40+ Lab-Approved Solutions to Creating the Ultimate Self-Care Routine
Self-Care: 12 Ways to Take Better Care of Yourself

and for how to plan and implement social media breaks:
Want To Take A Social Media Break? This Key Tip Will Make It So Easy
How to Take a Break from Social Media

Resources

1: Jiang, B.; Schmillen, R. & Sullivan, W.C. (2018). How to Waste a Break: Using Portable Electronic Devices Substantially Counteracts Attention Enhancement Effects of Green Spaces. Environment and Behavior, vol. 51, issue 9-10, pp. 1133-1160. doi: 10.1177/0013916518788603

2: Graham, S.; Mason, A.; Riordan, B; Winter, T. & Scarf, D. (2020) Taking a Break from Social Media Improves Wellbeing Through Sleep Quality. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2020.0217

3: Bhattacharya, S.; Bashar, M. A., Srivastava, A. & Singh, A. (2019). NOMOPHOBIA: NO MObile PHone PhoBIA. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, vol. 8, issue 4, pp. 1297–1300. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_71_19

4: Aini, D. K.; Bukhori, B. & Bakar, Z. A. (2020). The Role of Mindfulness and Digital Detox to Adolescent Nomophobia . Proceedings of the First International Conference on Islamic History and Civilization, ICON-ISHIC 2020, 14 October, Semarang, Indonesia. doi: 10.4108/eai.14-10-2020.2303861

5: Throuvala, M. A.; Griffiths, M. D.; Rennoldson, M. & Kuss, D. J. (2020). Mind over Matter: Testing the Efficacy of an Online Randomized Controlled Trial to Reduce Distraction from Smartphone Use . International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 5, issue 17. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17134842