Digital Fatigue

Your screen time could be affecting you much more than you realise. Digital fatigue is used to describe a state of mental exhaustion brought on by the excessive use of digital devices. As much as we can get enjoyment from sitting back and logging on, our mental health can take a serious toll too. One of the main effects of digital fatigue is increased stress and anxiety. The feeling of constant connectivity, information overload and pressure to respond to people can create excessive stress and anxiety. Disrupted sleeping patterns is another result of digital fatigue. The constant exposure to our screens disrupts our sleep patterns and the insufficient rest can negatively impact out moods and our overall wellbeing. Some nights I find myself struggling to keep my eyes open, almost as if there’s little weights on my eyes desperately trying to my pull eyelids shut, yet I still can’t put the phone down. I know it’s easier said than done, I find myself hardly remembering to put this to practice most days but trying to put all technology away about an hour before going to bed is really an amazing way to truly disconnect and allow yourself to get the sleep and rest that your body needs. Excessive use of digital devices, while they connect us to everyone we know, can cause a horrible sense of self isolation. Seeing your friends and family face to face, even going out to a shop and talking to the cashier are ways of eliminating this feeling of isolation. It’s crucial to our wellbeing that we interact with one another in person as much as we can, we can only take so much words on a screen. Your self-esteem can suffer greatly from excessive use of digital devices. Social media causing constant comparison affects your mental health greatly and can make you feel so horrible about yourself. You are your own perfect person, don’t forget that.

The best thing you can do is take a digital detox Schedule a time where you completely disconnect from all devices and just take time for yourself. This can be anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours to a whole day! It can be hard to put the phone down after constantly using it day by day, but watch yourself feel the difference once you do! :)

🤍Mental Health Ireland

🤍HSE

🤍Pieta