{"id":245,"date":"2023-01-26T18:51:51","date_gmt":"2023-01-26T23:51:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=245"},"modified":"2023-11-01T18:56:48","modified_gmt":"2023-11-01T22:56:48","slug":"self-care-challenges-in-a-digital-world","status":"web-only","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/chapter\/self-care-challenges-in-a-digital-world\/","title":{"raw":"Self-Care Challenges in a Digital World","rendered":"Self-Care Challenges in a Digital World"},"content":{"raw":"We live in world surrounded by technology and there is a cost to being connected 24\/7. Smartphones and tablets make our lives easier by giving us instant access to information as well as entertaining us. But this era has forced us to feel like we can never really log off. To what detriment? Yes, I can check my email, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or whatever every few minutes throughout the day, or respond instantly to a text, but what are the consequences of doing that? How can we use technology wisely?\r\n\r\nWe now need to consider taking more active control over our connectivity. Instead of mindlessly doing something on a device,\u00a0I need to check in with myself, notice what I\u2019m doing, and think about what\u2019s best for me at that moment. This is mindfulness, the practice of observing what is happening in the present moment. So, when my phone beeps, am I a creature of habit and drop what I\u2019m doing, or stop talking to the person there in front of me to have a look? Or do I practice mindfulness, which is necessary for self-care?\r\n\r\nSo, what does <strong>digital self-care<\/strong> look like?\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>You can set boundaries for yourself about times to be off email and other work-related matters.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>You need to keep your body moving, taking frequent breaks from sitting still working on a device. Getting up to take a walk, do a few stretches or focusing on something else for a bit helps reduce eye strain, prevent repetitive strain injury (RSI), and even can enhance productivity. Sitting in the same position for too long can make you end up sore and fatigued. When you're in the moment it can be easy to keep going and forget to take breaks. No surprise, but <strong>there is an app for that<\/strong>! Many timer apps are available to choose from where you can adjust the frequency of the breaks in the settings. Some offer notifications, some just make a sound. The <a href=\"http:\/\/iamfutureproof.com\/tools\/awareness\/\">Awareness App<\/a> makes the soothing sound of a Tibetan singing bowl whenever a specified period of time has elapsed. Some apps utilize different kinds of breaks, such as micro-breaks, rest breaks and a daily limit. One app called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.toptal.com\/project-managers\/tomato-timer\">TomatoTimer<\/a> uses the <a href=\"https:\/\/todoist.com\/productivity-methods\/pomodoro-technique\">Pomodoro technique<\/a>, which breaks work sessions into 25 minutes of work broken by 5 minute breaks and one 10 minute break every hour. Another app called <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.prostartme.eyecare202020&amp;hl=en_US\">Eye Care 20 20 20<\/a> uses the 20-20-20 rule recommended to help eye strain: <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Every 20 minutes take 20 seconds to look at something 20 feet away<\/span>.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>You can make sure you\u2019re actually interacting with the world and people around you by putting down the technology, or better yet, leaving it at home.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>You should disconnect at least an hour before bedtime. Turn off notifications on your phone then, too. You can use a \u2018do-not-disturb\u2019 app -how many times have you been woken up by a text or social media alert in the middle of the night from those that don\u2019t care what time it is? Not only does checking your phone activate your brain and delay sleep, but the blue light from your phone can throw off your circadian rhythms and suppress melatonin production. For a more in-depth conversation about sleep, refer to the <a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/part\/sleep\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sleep section<\/a>.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>It\u2019s OK to stand in line at the grocery store or sit in the doctor\u2019s waiting room and let your mind wander. It\u2019s ok to drive in silence. It\u2019s ok to not be\u00a0<em>doing<\/em>\u00a0something. In fact, research has shown that mind-wandering can enhance creativity[footnote]Baird, B., Smallwood, J., Mrazek, M. D., Kam, J. W. Y., Franklin, M. S., &amp; Schooler, J. W. (2012). Inspired by Distraction: Mind Wandering Facilitates Creative Incubation. Psychological Science, 23(10), 1117\u20131122. Retrieved from: https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1177\/0956797612446024[\/footnote] and positively affects working memory.[footnote]Levinson, D. B., Smallwood, J., &amp; Davidson, R. J. (2012). The Persistence of Thought: Evidence for a Role of Working Memory in the Maintenance of Task-Unrelated Thinking. Psychological Science, 23(4), 375\u2013380. Retrieved from: https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/0956797611431465[\/footnote]<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n\r\n<em>Okay, time to be honest with yourself!<\/em>\r\n\r\nReflect on the past week - what\u2019s the longest you\u2019ve gone without checking your phone, surfing the internet looking at Pinterest, TikTok or checking Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or your email? Do you bring it with you everywhere? Is it never on silent? Just estimate an approximate amount. Sleep doesn\u2019t count!\u00a0 So, here\u2019s your challenge: don\u2019t use your phone or check your email after 7 PM for the next seven days. Okay, okay\u20268 PM. See how well you do avoiding those mindless check-ins!\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOne last thing to take into consideration:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_201\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"410\"]<a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1868\/2023\/01\/stay-informed.png\"><img class=\"wp-image-201 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1868\/2023\/01\/stay-informed-410x1024.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"410\" height=\"1024\" \/><\/a> Figure 31.1 Stay Informed[\/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;","rendered":"<p>We live in world surrounded by technology and there is a cost to being connected 24\/7. Smartphones and tablets make our lives easier by giving us instant access to information as well as entertaining us. But this era has forced us to feel like we can never really log off. To what detriment? Yes, I can check my email, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or whatever every few minutes throughout the day, or respond instantly to a text, but what are the consequences of doing that? How can we use technology wisely?<\/p>\n<p>We now need to consider taking more active control over our connectivity. Instead of mindlessly doing something on a device,\u00a0I need to check in with myself, notice what I\u2019m doing, and think about what\u2019s best for me at that moment. This is mindfulness, the practice of observing what is happening in the present moment. So, when my phone beeps, am I a creature of habit and drop what I\u2019m doing, or stop talking to the person there in front of me to have a look? Or do I practice mindfulness, which is necessary for self-care?<\/p>\n<p>So, what does <strong>digital self-care<\/strong> look like?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You can set boundaries for yourself about times to be off email and other work-related matters.<\/li>\n<li>You need to keep your body moving, taking frequent breaks from sitting still working on a device. Getting up to take a walk, do a few stretches or focusing on something else for a bit helps reduce eye strain, prevent repetitive strain injury (RSI), and even can enhance productivity. Sitting in the same position for too long can make you end up sore and fatigued. When you&#8217;re in the moment it can be easy to keep going and forget to take breaks. No surprise, but <strong>there is an app for that<\/strong>! Many timer apps are available to choose from where you can adjust the frequency of the breaks in the settings. Some offer notifications, some just make a sound. The <a href=\"http:\/\/iamfutureproof.com\/tools\/awareness\/\">Awareness App<\/a> makes the soothing sound of a Tibetan singing bowl whenever a specified period of time has elapsed. Some apps utilize different kinds of breaks, such as micro-breaks, rest breaks and a daily limit. One app called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.toptal.com\/project-managers\/tomato-timer\">TomatoTimer<\/a> uses the <a href=\"https:\/\/todoist.com\/productivity-methods\/pomodoro-technique\">Pomodoro technique<\/a>, which breaks work sessions into 25 minutes of work broken by 5 minute breaks and one 10 minute break every hour. Another app called <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.prostartme.eyecare202020&amp;hl=en_US\">Eye Care 20 20 20<\/a> uses the 20-20-20 rule recommended to help eye strain: <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Every 20 minutes take 20 seconds to look at something 20 feet away<\/span>.<\/li>\n<li>You can make sure you\u2019re actually interacting with the world and people around you by putting down the technology, or better yet, leaving it at home.<\/li>\n<li>You should disconnect at least an hour before bedtime. Turn off notifications on your phone then, too. You can use a \u2018do-not-disturb\u2019 app -how many times have you been woken up by a text or social media alert in the middle of the night from those that don\u2019t care what time it is? Not only does checking your phone activate your brain and delay sleep, but the blue light from your phone can throw off your circadian rhythms and suppress melatonin production. For a more in-depth conversation about sleep, refer to the <a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/part\/sleep\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sleep section<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>It\u2019s OK to stand in line at the grocery store or sit in the doctor\u2019s waiting room and let your mind wander. It\u2019s ok to drive in silence. It\u2019s ok to not be\u00a0<em>doing<\/em>\u00a0something. In fact, research has shown that mind-wandering can enhance creativity<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Baird, B., Smallwood, J., Mrazek, M. D., Kam, J. W. Y., Franklin, M. S., &amp; Schooler, J. W. (2012). Inspired by Distraction: Mind Wandering Facilitates Creative Incubation. Psychological Science, 23(10), 1117\u20131122. Retrieved from: https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1177\/0956797612446024\" id=\"return-footnote-245-1\" href=\"#footnote-245-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a> and positively affects working memory.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Levinson, D. B., Smallwood, J., &amp; Davidson, R. J. (2012). The Persistence of Thought: Evidence for a Role of Working Memory in the Maintenance of Task-Unrelated Thinking. Psychological Science, 23(4), 375\u2013380. Retrieved from: https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/0956797611431465\" id=\"return-footnote-245-2\" href=\"#footnote-245-2\" aria-label=\"Footnote 2\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<p><em>Okay, time to be honest with yourself!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Reflect on the past week &#8211; what\u2019s the longest you\u2019ve gone without checking your phone, surfing the internet looking at Pinterest, TikTok or checking Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or your email? Do you bring it with you everywhere? Is it never on silent? Just estimate an approximate amount. Sleep doesn\u2019t count!\u00a0 So, here\u2019s your challenge: don\u2019t use your phone or check your email after 7 PM for the next seven days. Okay, okay\u20268 PM. See how well you do avoiding those mindless check-ins!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>One last thing to take into consideration:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_201\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-201\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1868\/2023\/01\/stay-informed.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-201 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1868\/2023\/01\/stay-informed-410x1024.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"410\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1868\/2023\/01\/stay-informed-410x1024.png 410w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1868\/2023\/01\/stay-informed-120x300.png 120w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1868\/2023\/01\/stay-informed-768x1920.png 768w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1868\/2023\/01\/stay-informed-65x163.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1868\/2023\/01\/stay-informed-225x563.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1868\/2023\/01\/stay-informed-350x875.png 350w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1868\/2023\/01\/stay-informed.png 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 410px) 100vw, 410px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-201\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 31.1 Stay Informed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"media-attributions clear\" prefix:cc=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/ns#\" prefix:dc=\"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/\"><h2>Media Attributions<\/h2><ul><li >Figure 31.1 Stay Informed  &copy;  Jody Vaughan    is licensed under a  <a rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike)<\/a> license<\/li><\/ul><\/div><hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-245-1\">Baird, B., Smallwood, J., Mrazek, M. D., Kam, J. W. Y., Franklin, M. S., &amp; Schooler, J. W. (2012). Inspired by Distraction: Mind Wandering Facilitates Creative Incubation. Psychological Science, 23(10), 1117\u20131122. Retrieved from: https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1177\/0956797612446024 <a href=\"#return-footnote-245-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-245-2\">Levinson, D. B., Smallwood, J., &amp; Davidson, R. J. (2012). The Persistence of Thought: Evidence for a Role of Working Memory in the Maintenance of Task-Unrelated Thinking. Psychological Science, 23(4), 375\u2013380. Retrieved from: https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/0956797611431465 <a href=\"#return-footnote-245-2\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 2\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":1861,"menu_order":9,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[49],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-245","chapter","type-chapter","status-web-only","hentry","chapter-type-numberless"],"part":59,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/245","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1861"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/245\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1042,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/245\/revisions\/1042"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/59"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/245\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=245"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=245"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/rebootyourresiliencywithselfcare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}