19 May 2020

Healthy screen time

Today's focus for Mental Health Awareness Week is screen time.  We hear a lot about the impact the ever-increasing amount of time in front of our screens has on our wellbeing. 

It's true, many of us are guilty of scrolling relentlessly on social media; not really taking anything in but doing it more out of habit than an actual desire to engage.

MH awareness week - healthy screen time


With Apple introducing the screen time function that notifies you of your average time spent looking at your screen per day, the results can be a bit alarming!  But how much of that time spent on screen could you describe as 'healthy'?  In other words - how is it positively impacting your wellbeing?

How much of it is spent vacantly scrolling and how much is bringing you a feeling of genuine happiness/contentment?  For example, I know that when I'm speaking to people I care about on screen it's doing the latter - something we've all had to increase due the lack of physical interaction.  Additionally, I follow a lot of accounts on Instagram that I align with in relation to my interests and values - so even when I am scrolling, it brings me happiness and often inspires me!

My recommendation to you today is to seek out more social media accounts and pages that you align with and flood your feeds with positivity!  If we're more conscious of the content we're digesting - particularly right now when the vast majority of it is on screen - we can be more in control of our wellbeing.  I like to call it 'protecting my peace'.

Picture of Lee Ackland

Lee Ackland
Doorset Manager