Think of life 5 years back and compare it with your current lifestyle. If you are stunned at the speed of change, hold tight. It's only going to get faster! Covid 19 has changed the lifestyle and living standards of our planet. We have seen major changes in the digital world and there was little that we could do to resist it.
The struggles of coping up with LIFE, FOMO, anxiety, depression, stress and self-isolation hovered upon us. We have seen increasing cases of addiction to technology and digital media in this generation. For many, our livelihood depends on the digital base, but it's not wrong to say that we are now addicted and driven by technology, social media and the virtual world.
To all those Gen Zs who want to eventually substitute this overwhelming situation to a healthier approach towards Internet addiction, don’t worry. We are here to help you figure it out. Here are a few tactics to help you get started, but the REAL work begins after you are done reading!
1. Set Boundaries: One way to prevent an overdose of Internet addiction is to engage less in that activity. Even though cutting off of all digital means is next to impossible, that does not mean you cannot limit by timing your use and setting boundaries.
2. Create social accountability: If it’s getting hard for you retrieve or to stick to your boundaries, tell your friends, parents or your roommates that you are going on a detox and you won’t be active after a certain time. Let them help you be accountable for your new commitment! One of the easiest ways to limit you use is to get an Internet blocker.
FREEDOM is a great choice for anyone who seriously want to increase their productivity and peace of mind!
3. Conscious Protocols (Morning and Evening Routines): Have a wake up and bedtime routine. It should be something that powerfully rouses you from the depths of sleep and something that puts the day into context and winds it down.
Instead of picking up your phone and checking it first thing in the morning or going to bed with a screen right in front of your eyes at night, take conscious steps in your lifestyle.
Your routine could include activities such as starting your day with some time in meditation, working out or even gardening. You could end your day by reading a book (hard copy), journaling or spending quality time with your family. This is your place to get creative!
4. Embrace Boredom!: For our generation, boredom is one of the most painful things to experience. This is because it’s hard to be alone with yourself or your own thoughts. When untrained, our mind wonders of to places that may seem hard to recover. We run a thousand miles in our mind while we overthink. This puts us in a spot of anxiety and uncertainty.
When there’s a “gap” in which the mind is not active, the mind will want to latch onto anything it possibly can in order to keep itself occupied. When you train your mind to embrace the present moment no matter what it brings, there will be reduced stress because you are accepting what is. Be ok with gaps of time where you just do “nothing”.
5. Engage Offline: The best way to not develop a habit is to lessen engagement or not engage in the first place. When you do “offline” activities, you take away time that would normally be used for Internet browsing. Contrary to what many people (especially Gen Z) think, there’s tons of stuff you can do offline that are way better than doing them online.
Try biking, swimming, meet people in a meet-up, read physical books, go to a park, talk to someone, etc. There’s just so much stuff out there to do. Finding an engaging hobby and becoming better at it just might be the thing that breaks your Internet addiction.
Find something that speaks to you and throw yourself into it.