Digital Wellbeing

Many of us find it increasingly difficult to switch off and in a 24/7 digital world it can be tempting to frequently check emails, news and social media channels. This means we can be plugged in and physically inactive for long periods of time. It is important to be aware of our habits and integrate some wellbeing practices into our daily lives.

Here are some helpful ways to manage your physical and mental wellbeing in an increasingly digital world:

  • Staff Wellbeing site - Sheffield Hallam University has a website dedicated to staff wellbeing. It includes a range of online self-help resources around mental and physical wellbeing. You can access this site via the homepage of the Staff Intranet.
  • Turn off notifications – Many apps like email and social media use notifications that pop up on your mobile device that can lure you in and distract you from whatever else you were doing. You can help avoid distractions like this by turning off push notifications in the settings for these apps.
  • Be clear about your availability - Inform people of your contact hours. If you’re used to checking emails before bed and responding to people at this time you could be setting an unrealistic expectation to others. If this is something you want to change you could avoid checking emails outside of the contact hours you have specified.
  • Limit the amount of time you spend on a particular app or task – You could try having dedicated time slots to check different web tools, such as email, and limit how long you spend on them.
  • Unsubscribe – This can be a bit of a task in itself, however unsubscribing from mailing lists that you don’t engage with will help reduce the number of unnecessary emails you are receiving and spending time deleting.
  • Build in switch off time – Many of us carry around a smartphone which are very useful tools and allow us to communicate with others at any time and from anywhere. Regularly using our phone, apps and the internet can become a habit, with no real purpose. A way to combat this is to take time away from your phone and technology to help remove the distraction for a while. You could try leaving your phone at home when you go for a walk, not allowing phones nearby when eating dinner to allow yourself to do these activities more mindfully and without distraction.
  • Monitor your phone usage – Many mobile devices now track your usage and the amount of time you spend on various apps. It can be quite revealing to see how much time we’re spending on our devices and it can be helpful to assess whether we are using our time wisely.
  • Clean up your phone – If you find certain apps distracting you could try organising the home screen on your device and using your phone a little differently. This article offers some useful tips on how to use your phone more mindfully. You could also try deleting apps to make accessing them harder.

Physical wellbeing

Sitting stationary and looking at a screen for long periods of time can be bad for our physical health. The NHS says that we are less active nowadays for numerous reasons including the fact that technology has made our lives easier. Here at Hallam we are encouraged to take regular screen breaks and move regularly to help with our health.

Exercising has many health benefits and it is recommended that we achieve 150 minutes of moderate physical activity over a week such as brisk walking and cycling and some strengthening exercises on 2 or 3 days a week. A good way to introduce more exercise is to incorporate activity into our everyday lives perhaps by perhaps walking instead of taking the car for short journeys or taking the stairs instead of the lift etc.

Here are some ways to help manage your physical health in your workplace(s):

  • Move regularly - Move away from technology whenever possible and get your body moving from sitting in a static position throughout the day to help prevent issues with posture and back pain.
  • Stretch - Tools like stretch clock prompt you to stretch regularly and guide you through exercises you can do at your desk. Desk stretches and exercises can help prevent stiffness and back pain.
  • DSE Assessment - Ensure you regularly take your DSE assessment to check that your desk is set up in the best way for your comfort. Through this assessment Sheffield Hallam offers free eye tests every two years. See also advice for home working.
  • Eye care - Looking at a screen for long periods without regular breaks can cause eye strain and headaches. When working on a computer it is recommended that you refocus your eyes to a distant point every 20 minutes to help rest your eyes and prevent eye strain. Regular breaks and stretches mentioned above will also help with this.
    Tip: The handy Google Chrome app ‘Eye Care’ prompts you to refocus every 20 minutes.
  • RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) - Taking regular breaks can help prevent RSI and a DSE assessment will help ensure you are comfortable at your desk. If you do suffer from RSI specially designed ergonomic equipment such as a vertical mouse or split ergonomic keyboards could help. Ergonomic equipment is available to borrow so you can see if it helps improve any symptoms you might be experiencing.