Hey Craig, what do you think of this pic? Do you reckon I should upload the one with the flower filter or without?
What are you doing?
Just doing my daily meditation.
Ah, I didn’t know you meditated.
Yeah, I started a few years ago. It’s been really good for my mood, managing stress. It’s been so good for my mental health.
Well, I usually just use my phone for social media and maps. I kind of forget there’s so much more out there.
There’s so much out there, and it’s no surprise that the online world has completely changed our lives. We’re more connected than any generation before, and we can look up pretty much anything. And sometimes technology gets a pretty bad rap. I mean, there’s definitely risks in the online world, but there are also so many rewards.
That’s right! There are so many ways we can use the online world to our advantage, including to help with our mental and physical health. So let’s have a chat about some of these hot tips.
Hot tip number one: limiting notifications. Craig, do you ever feel like me and just feel like throwing your phone in the toilet?
I actually did drop my phone in the toilet once, but that was an accident.
What I really mean is, do you ever feel like your device is controlling you instead of you controlling it?
Yeah, actually. I know I often feel stressed out by all the pings and notifications that my phone churns out.
Well, one thing you can do is actually change your notification settings. You don’t have to turn them all off, but just by changing a few, you can make sure that you see the things that you want to see. And if you want 100% focus, you can go into airplane mode. The serenity.
It can be pretty overwhelming to get bombarded by likes, comments, news, and posts, so changing your notification settings is a great step toward helping your well-being.
Hot tip number two: make rest a priority. Sleep isn’t just a nice thing to have—it’s a fundamental need for all of us, like food, water, and Netflix. Sometimes, without us even realizing, our devices might get in the way of getting a good night’s sleep. One thing you can do is put on night mode or a blue light filter to make sure your eyes get some rest before bed.
Yeah, recently I’ve been trying to stop looking at my phone before bed, and it’s made it much easier to get to sleep. I like trying to read or listen to a bit of music before bed. Sometimes you can even just get your clothes ready for the next day, and that can help too.
Hot tip number three: find support. Right, so another positive of the digital world is that it opens up new avenues for finding support. People can often assume that technology is bad for our well-being, but we can use it to follow inspiring creators, get free resources, and seek professional support. It means you don’t have to wait for an in-person appointment, and you can access support from anywhere, even if you’re living in a regional or remote area.
In those moments where we’re feeling down or overwhelmed, it’s really important that we reach out. That’s why we’ve included some links to some support resources in the description of this video.
Another way tech can help us is by giving us more opportunities to connect with communities or people with common lived experiences or interests. Whether it’s finding an online community of people with similar interests to you or chatting to friends and family overseas, technology is a great way to stay connected. You can even just send a meme to someone to let them know you’re thinking of them.
Right, so those are just a few starters for you, but it’s important to remember that everyone has different needs, and it can be hard to get the ball rolling. But if you know what you’re looking for, there’s usually always an app or a website for it. Personally, some of my favorites are mindfulness apps, apps that help me track my exercise, and I even have an app that helps me plan my study.
Ultimately, all of this is about being mindful of how we engage with technology, not being passive and letting it control us.
Which actually reminds me, can I see that meditation app?
Yeah, let’s do it!
