Are you having trouble trying to focus on your daily tasks? Feel like the quality of your sleep has deteriorated over the past few months? Don’t know why the quality of your relationship with your loved ones isn’t as superb as you’d wish it to be? If your answer to any of these questions is in the affirmative, then it’s probably time for you to take a break from screens.
Here’s why:
#1: It Refreshes Your Mind
Although some of us might hate to admit it, we really do need some ‘alone time’ after work to refresh for the coming day. Researchers at Kansas University have found that when we don’t put our gadgets away after work, our brain isn’t able to relax and recoup from a long day at the office.
Therefore, once you are home in the evening, you should put your smartphone on the phone charger station and let it remain there. Make your colleagues and co-workers aware of your after-work boundaries and availability. In other words, draw a line between your work and family life.
#2: It Saves You from Developing Sleep Disorders
According to a Swedish study, young people who are addicted to technology are at a higher risk of developing problems like sleep disorders. Want to know why that’s the case? The answer to this question lies in melatonin, aka the ‘sleep hormone.’
When it’s dark in our room and we’re about to go to sleep, our body releases melatonin to signal to our brain that it’s time to go to bed. However, if we take our phone off the charging station for phones and start browsing through it, the light coming out of its screen lures our brain into believing that it isn’t probably sleep-time yet. That, in turn, might mess with our ability to sleep.
#3: It Improves The Quality of Your Relationships
When we are looking down at our phones all the time, we’re ignoring the person who is sitting right next to us. Most of the time, that person is none other than the one whose presence in our life is so essential for our well-being. In other words, it is our loved ones who are feeling the [ill] effects of our inability to prefer them over technology.
Research proves this point as well. A study that took into account the viewpoints of partners concluded that people who were more glued to their smartphones admitted that they were less sure about the health of their relationship. At the same time, their partners felt that the overdependence of their companion on their devices made them less satisfied with the relationship.
Conclusion
Whether you want to get your mind working at its best, looking for ways to improve the quality of your sleep, or mend your relationships with your loved ones, unplugging is the way to go.