With the entire world switching to an online platform in the last two years, it seems next to impossible to catch a break. Between juggling online school and my work, it feels as though I have been staring at my laptop screen for 20 hours a day. But with lots of tries and attempts, I think I have found the perfect balance between my online responsibilities, all while still being able to use social media to relax and taking internet breaks.
1. Set Your Boundaries
For this, it is critical to find what works for your lifestyle. For me, I like to keep an 8:30 am-4:30 pm schedule. In this time period, I will arrange every meeting and every deadline. I try to get all my assignments and responsibilities finished so that later on I can focus on other parts of life.
Setting boundaries also means that all of your co-workers and acquaintances know to only be contacting you at this time. It also means that every email or call cannot be replied to right away. However, this does not mean that you should put it off, but just means that you will get to it when you can. It is important that we learn to set boundaries and learn to say no when needed.
2. Turn Off and Mute the Notifications
This is one of my top tips for taking a digital break. All of my closest family and friends have my number and know where to reach me for emergencies. As for the rest, I only reply when I feel like logging onto social media. That may seem a little selfish, but putting yourself first should be your main priority. Turning off the notifications is better than deleting the apps since this is a little more temporary fix.
3. Unfollow and Unsubscribe
We all follow tons of random people on our social media. I found that muting or unfollowing people I don’t talk to anymore or celebrities/influencers who aren’t posting positive content really helps lessen my screen time and avoid unwanted news. I also found unsubscribing to multiple newsletters has helped as well, and kept only one main trustworthy news outlet to keep up with.
4. Screenless breaks
This one is a more obvious tip, but after sitting for many hours in front of a screen, we tend to let this one go over our head and forget about this one. I take breaks during my day as well to prevent burnout and headaches. This break can be anything from a quick workout to reading or even making dinner. Try to take 5 minute breaks every hour.When working online and after the workday is done, try to engage in offline activities.
These are just a couple tips for your digital break and it can be altered to your own needs. It may seem hard to limit screen time since it feels like being at home can easily translate into being available all the time since your laptop/phone is right there. Take a break before you burnout and care for your mental/physical health.
Goodluck!