Finding the balance between technology and wellbeing

Screen time undisputedly has increased over the last decade, and even more so in the last year. From screens at work (home-based or office), entertainment to our smartphones modern life depends on technology. A 2020 study had shown that the average UK resident has over 4,866 hours of screen time a year, that’s 202.75 days in a 365-day year. Technology and Wellbeing are debated to have negative effects on one another, so it may seem impossible to balance both in modern times. Wellbeing comes in a lot of different forms, so we have chosen 5 wellbeing areas that technology may affect, and how you can still balance both. 

Physical Wellbeing

It may seem harder and harder to fit in physical wellbeing with everything going on, but planning your time efficiently can be the start of building good habits. But even planning the smallest of daily exercise, like a walk, using the stairs in the office, or a simple bike ride; can make a difference. Keeping your physical wellbeing does not necessarily mean you need to be an Olympic athlete, these small exercises can help your mood, lower your anxiety levels, and have been proven to boost your endorphins/serotonin. There are many different apps, services, and devices like fit bits that encourage physical wellbeing for their users.

Intellectual Wellbeing

Technology having a possible effect on your physical wellbeing, which in turn affects your intellectual wellbeing. Exercise has been connected to the creation of new neurons in the brain, helping with learning and memory development. From this, it's recommended that you try to stimulate your brain with different tasks. These can be through traditional means, like puzzles, problem-solving, and learning new skills. But technology can help with stimulating your brain's activity. There are now more ways than ever to learn a new skill, from online subscriptions to watching videos/surfing the internet. Although screen time should be limited (due to the above points) by technology bringing everyone closer together, it's enhancing the ways that people can learn new skills. Wherein traditional circumstances they may not have been able to from obstacles like timing to location to financial. So, to keep your intellectual wellbeing in check, test it with technology by learning, solving, or developing skills. 

Social Wellbeing

Social Wellbeing is the degree to how much you feel a sense of belonging or included. Technology like social media can either make us feel closer together or further away from our peers. Find online groups where you can discuss with like-minded individuals about your hobbies or passions, an animal group, a football group. Or use technology to help find real-world groups with which you socialise in person. 

If finding a new hobby or interest doesn’t interest you, the simplest way to ensure your positive social Well-being is by making sure you plan your screen time. Simple breaks to grab a coffee if you are in the office will give you a chance to speak to co-workers. Planning your screen time outside of work also will give you that push to meet up with friends, interact with them and further develop your social relationship. Keeping on top of your social wellbeing can help your mood and make you happier.

Emotional Wellbeing 

Being able to look after your emotional needs is important for each of us to understand. The value of our emotions can help drive us in day-to-day life. Understanding our emotional needs helps us function in society, work, and life pressures. Technology is often brought forward in discussion about the current desensitisation of society, the rise of common mental health conditions, and individuals feeling inadequate from framed lives on social media. Yet, there are ways that you can assist your emotional wellbeing, from prevention to utilising technology to benefit your emotional needs such as creating anonymous blogs for venting/diary purposes. Such preventions like wearing Blue Light Glasses have correlated in helping those who are suffering from sleep issues, anxiety, depression, etc as the Blue light rays from our screens can affect our brains rhythms.

 Financial Wellbeing

Having financial wellbeing may seem harder than before since the pandemic. Financial wellbeing is having security that you have enough money to meet your needs. A misconception that financial wellbeing is only for the employee to implement; the employer needs to share this responsibility according to the NHS. Employers should consider short-term services to help people save more easily, offer advice and support to the right tools/services and reduce the cost of employment (E.g ensure if a social event is about to take place that all can afford to participate). Not only in work is it hard to secure financial well-being, but the rise of online shopping also makes it easier for us to spend. Using card payments over money has been proven to be less psychologically painful than handing over cash during a transaction. With this, it's less painful to spend your money, and your body is getting that endorphin boost that buying something you like releases. But modern apps like Starling Bank helps you save your money and motivates you with pictures, goals, and little “pockets” for different savings It also uses the data which is collected from your transactions to say where you are spending the most money i.e. £38 a month on your local coffee shop, helping you work out where each pound is going. and any unusual spending. Using Financial related apps such as this one can help a person's Financial Well-being as it allows them to plan, analyse and budget for the future.

Here are some of the ways that a few of our team at ComputerWorld manage their own wellbeing

A bucket full of stress needs to have holes drilled to release stress more quickly than it can fill”

Well-being is a challenge and takes practice to nail (and even then, everything changes, and we have to start all over again). I’ve used different techniques at different times but what always works for me is staying in tune with my needs. A bucket full of stress needs to have holes drilled to release stress more quickly than it can fill, so I am mindful of my stress bucket and the amount of ‘stress release’ required at any time. 

Two things that are important to me, but that are quickly disregarded when times get tough, are an organised home and learning, so I always have an audiobook on the go, normally whilst I am up to my eyes in housework. 

There is a lot to be said for me about the benefits of water. In winter a bath is my peaceful retreat from the world and in summer, swimming outdoors helps to restore, is great for blood flow, and benefits my mood. Being in the water, watching the waves, hearing the rain, even drinking water does make things better for me.

Keep it simple

I have always been more of a morning person than a night owl, so starting the morning the right way has always been important to me. “Keep it simple” I have made good progress building my habits and I am starting to see the benefit. In the past I have tried to complete too much in my morning routine and ultimately whilst satisfying when I was able to complete it, ultimately it made completing the routine every morning very difficult and almost unattractive, ultimately, I gave up with everything. 

My morning routine starts the night before, when I go to bed, I leave my phone downstairs. This was the game-changer for me as I found in the mornings it was all too easy for me to sit on my phone mindlessly scrolling through social media for hours on end.

Take myself to court.”

“If I am feeling down, thinking of a fond childhood memory and visualizing being there, I guess you could call this my ‘happy place’ (for any ‘I’m a celeb’ fans out there). For me I remember being at my nan and grampy's farm sat under a big willow tree on a beautiful summer’s day, watching the animals with an ice-cold glass of lemonade. I also find that any football ground my children play at, and, the home of football, Ashton Gate are also very happy places for me (most of the time 😊). 

The other technique I use fairly frequently and if I am feeling anxious, is to take myself to court. So, to visualize speaking with a judge about what I am feeling anxious about and listening to the judge's response if it is something serious or not, that I should be worried about or if a judge would tell me what’s right or wrong (99.9% of the time it isn’t worth worrying about!). Helps me sanity check my thoughts/emotions and ensure my moral compass is in check.”