5 Wellness Tips to Protect Your Mental Health Online

This publication is also available in: Français English (UK) Deutsch Italiano Español

Mental health is an essential topic in today’s society, and that’s a good thing! Stars like Billie Eilish, Selena Gomez, Lady Gaga, and Stromae have spoken out about the difficulties they face and encourage their community to seek help if needed.

We are all overwhelmed by screens and the flow of information, and with social or political events, it can sometimes be difficult to take time for ourselves and preserve our mental health. That’s why I would like to share with you five tips to better manage your screen use and your online well-being. Simple, easy gestures that will instantly reduce stress and do you good!

1. Put your phone down 30 minutes before going to bed

Screens are addictive and often delay bedtime. It is now proven by the scientific community that looking at your smartphone just before bed can disrupt sleep. There are mainly two reasons for this. The first, and also the most serious for our mental health, is that when we scroll, we have no control over the content we are viewing.

The element of surprise is therefore total for our brain, which can be very harmful, especially if you come across a violent video, for example. The second reason is particularly detrimental to sleep: the blue light emitted by our phones blocks the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates our sleep, making it harder to fall asleep. Additionally, blue light accelerates skin aging. As a fashion and beauty editor, I can only advise you to go to bed without your phone.

By putting your phone down 30 minutes before going to bed, you allow your brain to relax, thus promoting more restorative sleep. This small gesture can also reduce anxiety and improve your overall well-being. So, why not try this simple gesture to sleep better?

2. Avoid looking at your phone upon waking

The first action in the morning for many of us is to check our phones. However, this seemingly harmless gesture is actually very bad for mental health.

It’s better to wait a bit before checking your emails, notifications, or bank account (unless you’re very wealthy, I advise against checking your balance upon waking if you want to stay positive for the day). Taking a moment for yourself, enjoying a quiet coffee, or getting ready allows you to start the day gently, refocus, and reduce stress.

I also recommend taking a moment in the morning to practice a calming activity, like meditation. And if you’re in a hurry or don’t have time to take a few minutes, do the gratitude exercise I mentioned in this article.

Protecting your mental health online helps maintain a better balance between your digital and personal life. Just by leaving your smartphone aside in the morning, you’ll feel much better and more serene to tackle the day.

And frankly, you lose nothing by not checking the lives of others or uninteresting information first thing in the morning. It’s so much healthier to focus on yourself and calmly think about your day.

3. Stop following accounts that harm our mental health

Have you ever come across posts or reels that made you feel sad? I bet you have. While some accounts serve the public good (especially regarding ecology, animal abuse, etc.), they are not necessarily good for your mental health. As sad as it may sound, watching a reel about a problem happening far from home, one over which you have no control, will simply make you feel bad and leave you with a sense of helplessness because you can’t do anything about it.

Personally, I’ve unfollowed an account that, no matter how important and interesting it was, made me feel so bad every time I looked at it that I had to resolve to stop following it to avoid seeing videos of deforestation or animal abuse as soon as I opened Instagram.

Follow content that makes you feel good and filter the accounts you follow. This will surely have a positive impact on your mental well-being.

4. Go out without your phone

Let’s be honest, we rarely go out without our phones. However, it feels so good! Leave it at home when you go for a walk, run errands at the store next door, or go to the park with your kids, for example. This small gesture can be so liberating in a time when we are bombarded with notifications from all sides. Yes, it may seem strange at first, but quickly, you will realize that you are more attentive to the present moment and the people around you.

Give yourself a moment of peace: you don’t need to check your emails while grocery shopping. We are so overwhelmed with information that separating from your phone, even for an hour, reduces stress and allows for better connection with your surroundings.

5. Monitor the time spent on your smartphone

According to a UK study, we spend twice as much time on our phones as we think, averaging 5 hours a day! In the United States, across all screens (work and leisure), we spend about 11 hours a day in front of a screen. When we consider everything we could learn or accomplish by dedicating five hours to it, we realize how much time is wasted.

Of course, this isn’t about guilt. It’s normal to follow accounts that we love and to stay informed, but by simply reducing the time spent scrolling, not only will you be more productive in other tasks, but you will also feel better.

Featured image: ©tran/unsplash