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What’s the first thing you do when you get out of bed each day?

Do you brush your teeth? Say a prayer? Or check your phone?

If you have the habit of checking your phone (besides turning the alarm off) before your eyes are even fully opened - you are not alone and there are many others who are guilty of doing just that.

As a matter of fact, a new study from IDC Research found that 80% of smartphone users check their mobile devices within 15 minutes of waking up each morning.

In today’s technology-driven world, it’s so easy to feel like we are constantly “plugged in” or “connected” to the digital world.

Whether it’s checking your email, scrolling through the social media feeds, or watching your favorite Netflix series, the reality often is that we’re surrounded by screens no matter where we look.

You love your mobile devices - we all get it, but as the old saying goes “too much of anything is good for nothing”.

Apart from affecting our social skills, too much “gadget” time can also have a negative effect on our collective health.

So How Can Unplugging From Technology Benefits Us?

Here are five scientifically-proven benefits of unplugging from technology.

1. Improve overall quality of life

From a study conducted by the University of Maryland, students who unplugged from technology were able to spend more time with friends and family, engaged in physical activities, cooked more often, and thus have a healthier diet.

Less time spent on their phones gave them the “free” time to spend doing more beneficial things.

Tip: Leave your phone in another room and allocate at least a couple of hours of family time every day (eg. during dinner) so that you can enjoy the food and conversation instead.

2. You get to sleep better

Exposure to blue light emitted from our mobile or computer screens makes it difficult for us to fall asleep due to the reduction of the sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin. And because we aren't giving our brain and body proper time to rest, it messes up our circadian rhythm.

Tip: Disconnect from any gadgets at least one hour before bed. This will give your body time to wind down and ease you into having a better sleep.

3. Boost your interpersonal relationship and communications

With the help of technology, communication is no longer a problem, but it does come at the expense of human interactions. Technology removes body language, tone, and other essential things which help us understand one another and form stronger bonds.

Thus, unplugging from technology encourages you to communicate outside of the screen- and text-based medium, improving your interpersonal relationship and communications.

Tip: Connect with your friends and colleagues from work (or outside of work). Once every week, invite them for a nice catch up over coffee.

4. It increases productivity

A study by The National Institute of Drug Abuse concluded that checking your phone can have the same effect as drugs or sex and can be equally counterproductive if done excessively.

Rather than making us more efficient, studies show that constant multitasking makes us slower and stupider.

Tip: In order to maximize focus and increase productivity, avoid checking your phone or email when you’re dedicated to a specific task.

5. Enhance the quality of work

If we are constantly "plugged in" with work-related tasks, even after working hours, it won’t be long until we experience burn-out from exhaustion. We can only do so much for so long before feeling knackered.

Researchers from Kansas State University found that when people “unplugged” from work-related tasks, they reported feeling fresher and better recharged when beginning work the following day, thus, enhancing the quality of work.

Tip: Establish electronics boundaries after work or on your days off, like leaving your laptop at home or reducing the times you check your phone.

Sometimes, it's useful to remind ourselves that there's more to life than our smartphones, after all.

Download our Doc2Us app from Google Play Store or Apple Store and chat with a doctor now.

References:

Higgins, M. (2016). The Scientific Case For Unplugging From Technology. [online] Bustle. Available at: https://www.bustle.com/articles/188786-5-scientifically-proven-benefits-to-unplugging-from-technology.
Hervey, J. (2019). 5 Compelling Reasons to Consider Unplugging From Technology. [online] Reader's Digest. Available at: https://www.rd.com/advice/work-career/unplugging-from-technology/.
Pinkham, R. (2019). 80% of Smartphone Users Check Their Phones Before Brushing Their Teeth ... And Other Hot Topics | Constant Contact Blogs. [online] Constant Contact Blogs. Available at: https://blogs.constantcontact.com/smartphone-usage-statistics/.
Author Unlimited. (2019). Digital Detox: 16 Ways To Unplug From Technology, Every Day. [online] Available at: https://authorunlimited.com/blog/ways-to-unplug-from-technology.

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