Technology has forever changed the world we live in. We’re online, in one way or another, all day long. In our personal and professional lives, technology can be a blessing as it made it easier to connect with others, and a curse that being in a state of always-connected and 24/7 contactable can make it really challenging to take some time to focus on your own well-being or spend time with family and friends.
The good news is that we can turn the tables on the dark side of technology by using technology to our advantage to de-stress and relieve some of the anxiety from our hectic lifestyle.
I am going to share 10 effective methods that we teach our staff at iDesignYours where technology can help de-stress and develop a healthy lifestyle.
01) Decrease the Effects of Blue Light
Devices like smartphones, tablets, laptops emit an artificial blue light and staring at screens of our devices all day can cause eye strain, and prevent us from feeling relaxed and sleepy.
- For your computers, use an app Flux at night to slowly decrease your computer’s blue glow like the sunsets.
- Buy a glare-reducing protective screen cover.
- iPhone users can use Night Shift (under Settings > Display) and the less-known Color Tint feature.
- Android users can download Twilight for their screen-dimming needs.
02) Examine Your Phone Time and Reduce It
Use Google’s Digital Wellbeing for Android Devices that not only chart what you do and for how long, but also packs extra features like turning the screen gray at night to remind you to put your phone down, or it even outright disables apps after a set time.
Apple users can use Screen Time that allows you to monitor how much time you spend using your device and what you’re doing with it.
03) Reduce Noise
Numerous studies have linked noise pollution to increased anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. A Cardiologist at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany says that noise aggravates these health conditions by inducing higher levels of stress.
- You can use apps like Krisp to mute background noise During calls.
- You can also use noise cancellation and isolation devices that help you relax and sleep better.
04) Organize your Life
Organizing your time, to-do lists, scheduling events, emails and even going paperless can help you reduce the level of stress in your life. Use these simple apps to organize your life with ease:
- OneNote – Organize all your ideas, notes in one place.
- Google Calendar – Organize your meetings, events, reminders
- Plan – It automatically creates weekly agendas just for your tasks.
- Remember the Milk is good for people with lots to remember both at work and at home.
05) Take Regular Breaks
You can make your computer or mobile device remind you to practice good work ergonomics and break habits with these apps.
- Time Out is a macOS app for break management.
- Break Timer is a Chrome addon and is available in the Chrome Web Store. It allows you to customize the length of your work and break periods.
- Eye Care 20 20 20 is an app for iOS and Android that uses the 20-20-20 rule recommended for preventing eye strain: Every 20 minutes take 20 seconds to look at something 20 feet away.
06) Make Use of Wearables
Fitness products like FitBit and Apple Watch can also help you relax.
If you own a FitBit, Apple Watch or Garmin VivoSport, try the guided breathing exercise features to relieve stress when your heart rate variability (HRV) sensor shows your heart rate and stress level rising.
If you thought that wearables only go on your wrist, you might be surprised to learn about Vitali’s “smart bra” that will track your HRV and posture, and help identify what triggers stress for you.
07) Stress Relieving Apps
It is said that nowadays there is an app for everything. It is quite true. From mood tracking to squeezing a virtual rubber duck, there’s an app or a game for almost any type of stress relief you’re searching for.
Instead of scrolling through social media and creating more negative energy, utilize apps/games such as Little Wheel, Echogenesis, Pigment or Personal Zen, which contains a series of games focused on reducing anxiety levels.
08) Stream Relaxing Music
Music is considered the best food for your spirit. Listen to your favorite songs to de-stress, or listen to the top 10 relaxing songs ranked by scientists if you’re in need of immediate relaxation.
09) Dissolve Your Stress with Meditation
Meditation is one of the oldest techniques in the world to relieve stress and tension.
Schedule 10 minutes out of each day, put it in your phone’s calendar for a reminder, to clear your mind and reset your thought process.
If you feel like you are always on the go, try an app like Simple Habit to develop a practice of meditation in the midst of the busyness of life (during a commute, on a walk, while working).
10) Tech-Guided Acupressure
Acupressure is a homeopathic remedy that uses targeted pressure to clear blockages that could be causing pain, tension, or stress in the body. If you’re like me, spending the time and money to actually go visit an acupressure specialist is out of the question. Fortunately, technology has provided us with an app for a guided DIY acupressure process that can be done on your own time.
Conclusion
For better or worse, our smartphones, tablets, and computers are here to stay so why not try to harness cutting edge advances in technology to combat the anxiety and stress, and encourage mental and emotional health.
Do you have any other tips, apps or new technology that can help reduce the stress and let you lead a healthy lifestyle? Let me know in the comments.