• About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Download App
  • Virtual Summit
  • Benefit Hub for Subscribers Only
SWHELPER | Social Work | Social Justice | Social Good
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • News
  • Culture
  • Mental Health
  • Politics
  • Tech
  • Disability
  • Webinars
  • Podcast
Find/Post Jobs
  • Home
  • News
  • Culture
  • Mental Health
  • Politics
  • Tech
  • Disability
  • Webinars
  • Podcast
No Result
View All Result
SWHELPER | Social Work | Social Justice | Social Good
No Result
View All Result
Home Mental Health

Self-Care in the Digital Age and Why You May Need to Define Your Limits

Nancy SmythbyNancy Smyth
April 7, 2019
in Mental Health, Technology
0
ADVERTISEMENT
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on PinterestShare via EmailShare on Reddit

Most of our devices work 24 hrs a day and 7 days a week. Email apps sends us notifications round the clock to let us know that someone is trying to reach us. We have come a long way from the days when we were reliant on the natural cycles of light and dark to determine when to rise and when to sleep — digital devices are just the latest development in a process where we began to shape our environment and our routines with technology.

But, devices that are 24/7 can suck us into to trying to do the same. In order to not respond to the newest notification on my phone I need to actively make a choice: do I ignore it? turn off notifications? set them up with a schedule to leave me alone at certain time? or just look at my phone to see who it is?

Many times when I’m tired I find myself just mindlessly turning to my technology.  I’ve been working on paying attention at those times, stopping, and asking myself what do I really need right now?  Usually, when I check in with myself, I realize that turning to my technology at that moment just feels emotionally draining.

The Challenge Inherent in Our Technology

William Powers, author of Hamlet’s Blackberry, notes that every new technology both solves problems for society and also creates new challenges.  I think our smartphones/iPads/tablets are now providing us with the challenge to take more active control over shaping our lives and our connectivity. Yes, I can check my email (or Twitter, or Facebook or whatever) every few minutes throughout the day. But what are the consequences of doing that? And yes, now instead of waiting in a long line at the grocery store, I can get something done on my phone. But just because I can, doesn’t mean I have to.

Just because I can, doesn’t mean I have to. Just because I can, doesn’t mean I have to. Just because I can, doesn’t mean I have to.

Those words are becoming a mantra in my life. Instead of mindlessly doing something on a device, I can ask myself: What do I need right now? And when I say this, I need to actively check in with all of me: my body, my soul, my mind. And in order to remember to check in with myself, I need to notice what I’m doing and then be able to turn my attention inward and notice my physical sensations, my energy level, and my feelings and then use this information to ask what’s needed. And this is why our culture is now, all of sudden, so interested in mindfulness, the practice of noticing in the present moment. Without mindfulness, you are not free to make a new choice in the moment, you become simply a creature of habit and conditioning (e.g., my phone tweets at me and I look to see who’s talking to me on Twitter).

But does mindfulness=self-care? While mindfulness meditation might be part of someone’s self-care strategies, I think mindfulness itself serves a more foundational role in self-care.  Mindfulness is necessary for self-care: if I’m going to take care of myself, I need to be aware of myself and make choices about what I need. But the self-care part consists of taking action, not just noticing, unless just noticing and being (being mindful) is what I need now.

What is Self-Care in the Digital Age?

So what have I learned about taking care of myself in the digital age? Here are a few of the things I’ve learned so far:

  • I need to set boundaries for myself around technologies — times to be off email and other work-related contacts — time to eat and enjoy food and the people I’m eating with, especially toward the end of a day.
  • I need to keep my body moving, taking frequent breaks from sitting still working on a device.
  • I need experiences that are doing and being and interacting with the world (and the people) around me, especially being outside. This means putting the technology done at these times.
  • I need to disconnect–even from fun things like games and Second Life–at least an hour before bedtime. I don’t sleep as restfully when I don’t, and the research on the impact of backlit screens on sleep confirms this. And, I turn off notifications on my phone then, too.
  • And, I need to leave some “open” mind time for mind-wandering. Sometimes I just need to stand in line, or sit in the doctor’s waiting room and just let my brain wander, because my mind just feels too full. Sometimes I need to drive in silence, not listening to a recorded book, or to have my phone reading articles to me. And research suggests the need to allow for some mind-wandering, since it seems to enhance creativity.
  • And, sometimes I need to listen to that recorded book or that article while I’m driving, or work on email in that doctor’s waiting room.

Yes, I do realize that my last two points suggest opposite actions. That’s because it’s not about formulas for living. It’s about stopping for a few seconds, asking what’s needed, and making choices. And it’s about observing how things affect me, so I can make choices and find the right mix to come up with some general principles to guide my life or create my own personal “Owner’s Manual” of sorts. You will probably never find me doing email at 5:30 a.m. But, I have a colleague who does that regularly and identifies it as something that works well for her. We have to allow room for differences among us, while working together to share what works and dialogue with each other about the process.

So what have you learned about self-care in the digital age? What guidelines have you come up with for yourself, and why?

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

Is Mental Health Really ‘All in the Mind’?

Next Post

New Technology Provides Support for Sexual Assault Victims

Nancy Smyth

Nancy Smyth

Nancy J. Smyth, PhD, MSW, LCSW is professor and at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work, as well as a licensed clinical social worker. She has over 30 years experience in social work, primarily in the areas of trauma and addictions. She's an occasional blogger interested in the human connections made in digital environments. technology and social work, and the impact of technology on our identities, families and society.

Related Posts

Business

Technology and Entrepreneurship in Social Work

January 11, 2023
5 Ways To Boost Employee Wellbeing
Health

5 Ways To Boost Employee Wellbeing

January 7, 2023
Self Care is a Requirement
Mental Health

From Burnout to Firestarter

January 7, 2023
What is High Performance Culture and How to Create It
Business

What is High Performance Culture and How to Create It

January 7, 2023
Technology

From Macro to Micro: Leveraging Research, Data, and Social Work Principles for Impact at Scale

January 7, 2023
Social Work and Technology: Fails in Teaching Technology to Students
Technology

Tech and Movement Building Part I

January 7, 2023
Next Post

New Technology Provides Support for Sexual Assault Victims

Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Hazing among High School Athletes

Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Hazing among High School Athletes

Leave Comment
ADVERTISEMENT
What Can Be Done To Solve The Foster Care Crisis?

Ending the Therapeutic Relationship: Creative Termination Activities

June 24, 2022
What Feelings Are In Your Heart: An Art Therapy Exercise for Kids

What Feelings Are In Your Heart: An Art Therapy Exercise for Kids

June 19, 2022
Want to Work With Children: 5 Skills and Qualities You Should Be Working On

Want to Work With Children: 5 Skills and Qualities You Should Be Working On

April 7, 2019

Connect With Us

Twitter
FlipboardInstagram
ADVERTISEMENT
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram TikTok
SWHELPER | Social Work | Social Justice | Social Good

  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Buy Merch
  • Download App
  • Terms of Service
https://youtu.be/jWzjyPoSjtw

© 2022 Social Work Helper, PBC

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
    • News
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Politics
    • Criminal Justice
    • Social Work
    • Education
    • LGBTQ
    • Technology
    • Disability
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Webinars
  • Virtual Summit
  • Career Center
  • Download App
  • Subscriber Benefit Hub
  • Subscribe
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart

© 2022 Social Work Helper, PBC

Welcome Back!

Sign In with Facebook
Sign In with Google
Sign In with Linked In
OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Sign Up with Facebook
Sign Up with Google
Sign Up with Linked In
OR

Fill the forms below to register

*By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
Go to mobile version