Fine Tune Your Tech Habits for Feel-Good Vibes!

Technology is part of our lives, so intentionally using it is a MUST. Discover simple ways to fine-tune your tech habits for seriously feel-good vibes!

 

Whether you’re a student or working full-time, technology is a big part of your day. And honestly, that’s pretty cool! Technology allows us to connect, learn, and grow. But, here’s the thing: we all need to remember balance, and the key to that balance, is being “intentional” with your tech habits.

Everything you surround yourself with influences your vibrational energy. That includes technology! This week we’re focusing on developing healthy tech habits. Read on to discover our favorite ways to fine-tune tech habits for happy, positive vibes!

Clean Your Devices to Avoid Bacteria

Improving your tech habits will help with physical and mental wellness. So, let’s start with the physical benefits! First things first, let’s clean those devices. You might not realize it, but you touch a lot of stuff throughout the day. Don’t believe us? 

Imagine you’ve just woken up. Maybe you rub your eyes before checking the notifications on your phone. You probably then head to the bathroom to wash your face and, hopefully, your hands. Maybe you then use your hands to apply hair products or makeup. Then it’s a quick bite to eat before running out the door to catch the bus. 

Now, in that scenario, how many times did you touch your phone to swipe a notification, turn on music, or even mute an alarm? While we’d love to say we’re the perfect picture of hygiene, the truth is,  life moves pretty fast. That’s why it’s essential to make sure you’re regularly cleaning any dirt, dust, and oil from your devices. Here are some goals you can set for yourself to ensure you have clean and healthy devices: 

• Clean your cell phone at least once a day. Bonus, if you talk on the phone a lot, cleaning your screen reduces the bacteria that gets transferred between your face and phone!
• Clean earbuds at least once a week (possibly more if you notice wax buildup). 
• Clean over-the-ear headphones at least once a week (possibly more if you wear them to workout).
• Use canned air to clean out the dirt from your keyboard. Not only is this a great way to keep your tech in good condition, but canned air is also surprisingly fun to use.

For all of these, you’ll want to do a bit of research to see if the manufacturer recommends a particular type of cleaning solution. Once you figure it out, you can easily make this a regular part of your routine!

Avoid “Text-Neck” By Stretching and Developing Good Posture

In the past, chiropractors mainly worked with athletes and those with labor-intensive jobs. Today, chiropractors see more office workers for neck, shoulder, and back pain. You might be imagining someone in their forties stuck in a cubicle all day, but even people in their twenties are experiencing neck pain from their tech habits.

“Text-neck” is just one of many issues that can result from poor posture. Sadly, we’re all guilty of it! Maybe we’re typing up a report and suddenly realize we’re hunched over like a gremlin. At some point, we’ve all tilted our faces down to look at our phones. Well, turns out this type of posture can have a huge impact on your physical wellness. Here are just a few ways poor posture can influence your wellbeing:

• Neck pain
• Shoulder pain
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Poor circulation

Luckily, adding light stretching to your tech habits makes a world of difference. If you spend long stretches of time in front of a computer screen, try to get up and move your body every forty-five minutes. You can practice some of your favorite yoga poses, or simply jam out to your favorite song! Just make sure you’re loosening up your neck, shoulders, and back. 

Protect Your Eyes and Skin From Blue Light

The science of light is surprisingly complex. Visible light contains a spectrum of wavelengths and colors, one of which is blue light. While some blue light is beneficial, the type emitted by many electronic screens can be problematic. This type of blue light has the shortest wavelength and the highest amount of energy. When it comes to your eyes and skin, this is a problem.

Your eyes are made up of several key parts; but the three parts we’re concerned with regarding blue light are the cornea, lens, and retina. The cornea and lens are pretty decent at keeping UV rays away from the retina which is important because the retina is very light-sensitive. Unfortunately, high-energy light can pass through both of these and cause retina damage.

If you’ve noticed headaches or watery eyes after staring at a screen for too long, blue light is why! Luckily, there’s a variety of super cute prescription and non-prescription blue light filtering glasses to choose from. Simply pop on a pair of these the next time you need to stare at a screen for long periods of time. Now, let’s talk about your skin.

You may not notice the effects of blue light immediately on your skin. Over time, exposure to blue light may contribute to hyperpigmentation, photoaging, and collagen breakdown. AKA dark spots, wrinkles, and less skin elasticity. 

Avoid blue light damage to your skin with a daily moisturizer that has many protective antioxidants. Our Second Nature Calming Facial Moisturizer uses orange blossom and pomegranate plant peptides to help your skin form collagen. Terpenes also provide additional antioxidants and enhance penetration for maximum protection. 

Create Tech Boundaries For Positive Mental Health 

Now that your posture is better, your devices are clean, and your skin and eyes are protected, you’re all good, right? Oh, honey, we’re just getting started.

The physical aspects of living in a digital world are one thing, but YOU are so much more than your body. You’re made up of thoughts, emotions, and dreams; and all of those can be influenced by your tech habits. So, just how you enforce boundaries when it comes to face-to-face interactions, you need some tech boundaries as well.

Your boundaries might not look like everyone else’s, and that’s fine! Whatever your boundaries look like, here are some benefits you should aim to achieve:

• Stronger sense of self
• Healthier sleep schedule
• Stronger feelings of self-respect
• Mindfulness

You may want to limit the number of notifications you receive, stop responding to work emails after 5 p.m., or make sure to engage in one tech-free activity each day. And others might prefer to wait until after breakfast to check notifications, use “app limit” features on their phones, or even take one day a week completely off of social media As we said, these boundaries might look different for everyone.

There are SO many ways you can set boundaries when it comes to your tech habits and we recommend taking some time to assess your tech use before deciding where you need more structure and limits. 

Setting boundaries isn’t easy, and you may get pushback from others with different boundaries. But remember: this is for YOUR mental wellness and YOU get to dictate your boundaries.

Fill Your Feed With Positive Energy

We don’t always get to choose the content we see online. Sometimes we’re studying for school or reading for work, and the content we experience is non-negotiable. That’s why it’s so important to curate your feeds whenever you can!

We spend so much time online, so it’s important to make sure you’re actually enjoying that time, particularly when it comes to social media. Whether you’re all over social media or following the latest fashion blogs, make sure your feed is packed with positive energy. That means following accounts that fill you with happiness, laughter, and inspiration. 

It’s so easy to look at other people’s posts and compare ourselves to them. Whether we’re comparing our clothes, cars, bodies, or jobs, the never-ending cycle of likes and subscribers makes it hard NOT to compare. There’s nothing wrong with having a role model or looking at someone for inspiration. But if looking at their content makes you feel bad about yourself, unfollow them! 

You are absolutely fabulous and no one should ever make you feel less than glorious. Plus, if you’re like us, you and your office may look pristine during that zoom call...but it’s a whole different story on the other side of the camera 

👁👄👁

Practice Intentional Tech Habits for Physical and Mental Wellness

Let’s practice! Go ahead and get your stretch on. Unclench your jaw, then take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Tilt your head to the left and hold...then slowly tilt your head to the right and hold. Then loosen your shoulders and remember what a total badass you are. Repeat as often as necessary!

Thanks for hanging out with us today. We love you all so much and would love to hear about any tech habits that have had a positive impact on your life! Follow along with us on Instagram and don’t forget to tag us the next time you show off those vibe-worthy routines. 

Till next time, gorgeous!