Going Within by Going Without

From the moment we wake up to the time we go to sleep at night, lights, buttons, dings, rings, and other sounds are part of each step we take. Smartphones, tablets, TVs, laptops, smart watches, earbuds, and even rings have become our companions, acting as nurse, entertainment, education, friendship, and more. It’s truly amazing that we have access to these smart things. Consider this though:

When you first pick up your new device, it comes pre-loaded full of extra external sensory data, including:

• Sounds: Sounds abound on smart devices, like ringtones, notification alerts, alarms, touch interactions (for example, the sound you hear when tapping on the keyboard), and custom sounds from apps.
• Vibrations: Haptic feedback provides different types of vibrations for different actions, like notifications, calls, typing, and pressing buttons.
• Visuals: Our eyes are filled with high-resolution screens, bright and vibrant colors, smooth and flashy animations, and adaptive displays.

One of the most important goals of self-care is to peel off the unnecessary layers that keep you from the world inside.

One of the most important goals of self-care is to remove the extra external stuff in order to start accessing the world inside. So, while enjoying the benefits of the modern world and the access you have to education, entertainment, and community through technology, it’s important to be mindful of what you can do to prevent overstimulation. It’s intuitive that this extra sensory input (which has only increased over the years) contributes to restlessness, unease, stress, anxiety, and even depression, because it can act as a barrier to tranquility.

So, do yourself a favor: turn off, quiet, and dim as many features as you can. Consider changing which notifications you receive and what they look and sound like (think calm here). Turn off touch interactions unless they provide a service to you. And, contemplate on what should actually be causing you a sense of urgency or anxiety. Is it really a text message or an email? If your answer is no, then ask yourself how long can you pause before you jump – 5 minutes, 30, maybe an hour, or even an afternoon?

That’s self-care, believe it or not. For more self-care related technology tips, take a look through this post.