Feeling Burnt Out by Screens? These 4 Mental Health Hacks Can Protect Your Peace

Is there anything we aren’t doing online? Our family, friends, and co-workers contact us round-the-clock on messaging apps. Our smartphones allow us to run every errand imaginable: getting things delivered, making bank transactions, and purchasing groceries. We check the time on our smart watches, which also happen to monitor our heart rate, steps, and sleep. On tablets and laptops, we hop on meetings and classes—sometimes attending several at the same time. 

It’s an unbelievable amount of connectivity that’s made life easier and more convenient, linking us with people across oceans and lands. 

But does interacting more through screens than in real life have an effect on us? Turns out, it does. 

Bringing us together, or slowly pushing us apart?

Licensed psychologist Eiza Fusingan-Lapay, RPsy, chief well-being officer of mental health organization MindNation, tells Allure Philippines that the very gadgets we use to connect with others can, in fact, cause us to become more and more isolated. 

“We become hooked on these gadgets, and we move further away from our real-life connections,” she shares.

Fusingan-Lapay goes on to point out that the rise of remote working arrangements has only deepened this effect. “The use of all these platforms, where it’s so easy to talk to someone virtually, can make us lose sense of physical communication or interaction.”

In an era where you can do just about anything with a swipe of your finger or the tap of a button, it’s crucial then, to keep in touch with the real world—nurturing relationships face to face, having tangible experiences, and yes, setting boundaries between our digital lives and our real lives. 

“To maintain mental wellness,” Fusingan-Lapay shares, “it’s really important to build a culture of connectedness.” Below, she shares four important tips for keeping yourself anchored to the real world and mentally healthy in this digital age.

1. Recognize that there will be time you will need to spend online—but set micro-boundaries or create short rituals to differentiate tasks.

Whether it’s for work, school, or just general everyday tasks, staying connected online is inevitable. But even if you find yourself logging in to complete a task, it’s important to know when it’s time to end one activity, pack it up, and put it away. 

For Fusingan-Lapay, micro-boundaries signal the end to one task or activity, and help you detach from it. “Especially for those who work remotely, it’s important to create that symbolic boundary, like changing your clothes after work hours or designating a corner for rest,” she says. A non-negotiable? “Don’t work in bed, because that will confuse your mind when you try to sleep.”

2. Allocate time for thinking or reflection.

When we’re constantly glued to our gadgets, being stimulated by whatever’s on the screen, it’s difficult for our thoughts to find their own space. “At the end of the day, when people are finally out of their gadgets, the mind is so loud, even depriving them of sleep,” explains Fusingan-Lapay. “I actually recommend allocating time to understand your thoughts and worries. Take the time to invite them over, so they won’t invite themselves later on.” 

Fusingan-Lapay recommends setting the stage for this, perhaps putting on some music, and switching off all gadgets. “It’s crucial that you sit with your thoughts. It allows you to feel,” she says. “But make sure your thoughts don’t control this special time. It’s just about making space for self-reflection.”

3. Connect with people IRL.

Real relationships take work—and time. Outside of the virtual world, that literally means making the effort to set aside time to reconnect with those close to you. “Make it a practice,” Fusingan-Lapay says. “Reconnect offline by talking to a friend, eating out, having date nights with your partner.” And it’s critical, she says, that you put away your phones for these moments. “That can actually ruin relationships,” she points out, “when you don’t set limits or margins on your phone use.”

4. Remember that a digital detox takes time.

“Change is gradual,” Fusingan-Lapay says as a reminder. “It can be difficult.” She cautions that a digital detox, or even just a break from one’s usual routine, can actually cause withdrawal symptoms. So, start small and aim to un-glue yourself from your screens in a gradual manner. “Try putting your phone down in the evening only at first. Or tell yourself, ‘Every weekend, I’m not going to check Facebook or Instagram,’” she suggests. “Or try using an app that blocks other apps to limit the usage of a particular site that you find yourself visiting a lot.”

In trying to build that balance between the digital world and the actual, tangible world, it’s important to remember that you have to do what works for you. “It’s about understanding yourself, and not judging yourself for doing what you need to do,” says Fusingan-Lapay. “But make intentional efforts for necessary change.”

The digital world is not necessarily bad. It’s really up to you to maximize the convenience and benefits it offers, and to blend these with your lifestyle IRL, to truly create a life worth living.