Avoid Technology Burnout With These Tech Lifestyle Tips
Technology. It’s everywhere in 2017. You use it to wake up in the morning and often it’s the last thing you check before sleep. Throughout the day, you’re constantly checking your phone for the time and alternating between multiple windows and tabs on your computer screen. Soon, we’ll be leading complete double lives trying out clothing in an immersive virtual showroom while sitting on the couch or riding the bus. With technological gadgets taking over in every facet of your lives, it’s time to adopt tech habits to keep from indulging too much time in a good thing. Here are some tips to help you maintain a healthy tech lifestyle in the 21st-century.

SCREENS OFF!
When you’re binge-watching House of Cards during the work week, it’s hard not to cram in episode after episode as you fall asleep. Or imagine if you could test hundreds of new makeup products with a virtual design tool as you dozed off. There are plenty of tempting reasons to carry your computer to bed and keep it running until the last possible second. Unfortunately, it’s one of the worst tech lifestyle choices. The laptop light keeps your mind alert, so it takes much longer for you to fall into a healthy deep sleep. When you’re trying to end the day, consider a less tech-driven option. A good old book or soothing podcast will let your mind transition naturally into sleep rather than switching immediately from intense light to darkness.

WHEN YOU CAN, FOCUS
It may seem super productive to check emails, scan your Twitter feed, and format a spreadsheet all at once, but it’s not. It’s actually making you less effective. According to leading psychologists, the only way to efficiently multitask is to do multiple tasks that each use a different area of your brain. Since anything you do will share at least one area of your brain, multitasking is really chopping your attention into small segments and shifting quickly between singular tasks. If you really want to accomplish something well, silence those incessant media notifications and hone your focus. You’ll work faster and with better quality.

SCREENS AT EYE LEVEL
Technology doesn’t just trick us into working our minds in unrealistic ways. Your tech lifestyle can also take a physical toll if you aren’t careful. When virtual technology allows you to shop online and escape into a world of avatars, you risk spending more time slouched over a screen than interacting with the real world! First of all, please don’t do that. If you have an avatar, leave it at home when you’re out and about. Secondly, try and keep your phones and tablets at eye level whenever possible. It might mean you don’t text while walking, but that’s safer anyway. Whether you’re using your laptop at a desk or searching for directions on your phone, try to raise the screen to eye level. Your back will thank you.

FEND OFF SOCIAL MEDIA
Before you erupt into a speech about how unreasonable this suggestion is, consider your options. I’m not telling you to delete social profiles or take a fast. The fact is, social media has plenty of perks. You just don’t need to be immersed in it 24/7. This step in tidying up your tech lifestyle can take many different forms. For some, it might mean setting aside a few hours every day to set social media aside. Others decide to only engage with social networks on their computers and delete the apps from their phones. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can be exhausting. Try giving yourself a little space to live.
Your tech lifestyle choices are more important now than ever before. Technology is a fact of life and it’s time to start managing it wisely. Use these tips to maintain a healthy balance as you navigate this tech-savvy world.