Why Unplugging From Technology Can Be A Benefit

Technology is undoubtedly a huge help in our lives in the office and general lives. From our computers to our tablets, our working lives have been made easier than ever. This is a great positive, as it allows us to do our work quicker as well as always being able to do our work from anywhere thanks to the internet and tablet devices. Emails can be sent no matter what time of day, which means any workplace disasters can be sorted out easily.

But there are also downsides to technology, such as always being connected to our work no matter whether we are at home or on holiday. This makes it harder to say no to extra work, and always tempting to try and finish that extra project. The most important downside though, is that being around technology for too long can have detrimental effects on our health.

Technology being a burden on health

People can feel more stressed by constantly being attached to their technology, as they can often feel like they are pressured into doing more work; simply because their phone or tablet is there. It can also feel like you have to reply to work related emails, we may feel that not replying is rude.

The National Sleep Foundation in America released a 2011 poll that showed a connection that the use of communications technology before bed results in poorer sleep. This includes mobile phones and computers/laptops, so perhaps if we simply shut down our technology (or at least turned it to silent/vibrate) before we go to bed, we can achieve a much more peaceful and restful sleep.

Another downside to technology is that we always feel the need to check our emails or texts, which can result in a lot of us being stuck to our phones or tablets. You may often see this when out in public; people completely unaware of other people while glued to their screens. While not necessary bad, this can understandably lead to rather unsociable behaviour. Does anyone truly want to be in a room full of people more interested in their phones than talking to each other?

Sometimes you need to take a step back

So how can you unplug from technology? While at work, it is understandably hard to just stop using technology if it is an incremental part of your job. So try taking a break every hour from your computer or tablet; try walking around, getting yourself a cup of coffee or tea or a quick snack. It will be long enough to stretch out your muscles and also give your mind a little rest from staring at a screen.

Outside of work, avoid your mobile phone or tablet device to prevent yourself from the temptation of doing or checking up on work. This could be by silencing your phone, or simply placing it somewhere else so you cannot access it.

An important tip would be to avoid any technology before going to bed. This will allow you to completely de-stress yourself before you go to bed so that you can get a full night of restful sleep. As such, you will be more alert and ready for work the next day, helping to increase your work productivity!

What do you think?

Share your opinions on how unplugging from technology benefits you, or whether you disagree with this opinion?