There’s no doubt we’ve all felt the effects of digital overload in recent years. Perhaps you’ve developed some poor screen-time management habits during the pandemic. There’s no need to be ashamed of this, because almost everything went from being dealt with in-person to online overnight. From work, to school, to banking, to keeping in touch with our loved ones; everything suddenly became another task in front of a screen.
With the holiday season quickly approaching, you may want to use this time to disconnect and be fully present with your loved ones. Now that we are free from lockdown protocols and can meet up with our friends and family, we should take full advantage of that time. It might end up being the best gift you could ask for.
So, how can we effectively reduce our screen-time this holiday season?
Designated Device-Free Times
We often bring an uninvited guest to our family Holiday celebrations, being our digital devices. Consider setting a rule that no devices are used at the table and lock all devices away in a box or separate room. While we do have “Do Not Disturb” mode and screen-time management tools built into our devices, neither of these eliminate the urge to check your phone more than not having it physically present.
During the holiday period, you can disable all notifications for any apps that aren’t essential, like your work email, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. This way, you can still access the app in your own time, but you aren’t constantly faced with new notifications demanding your immediate attention.
Physically Send Your Season’s Greetings
Why not try going “old school” this year and send your loved ones a holiday card. This can be a great opportunity to spend quality time with your family if you decide to make the cards yourselves. Additionally, it will drastically decrease the number of messages you’ll feel obligated to send.
Quality Time
While everyone is together, you should make the most of the time that you have by planning activities for everyone to partake in, like card or board games. Sometimes, having multiple generations playing the same game can have some interesting outcomes.
Reflect
When all is said and done, take some time to reflect on how it felt to be fully present in the time that you spent with your loved ones. Who knows? It might end up becoming a healthy digital habit.