Navigating the digital era: Simple habits to reduce anxiety and FOMO

India, 26 Nov – Baby Sharma: In the current era of digitalization, the world has become a family. It’s a matter of seconds if we want to connect to any part of the world. The information travels at a fast pace and is available to far-off lands. But with all this connectivity, the world has come face-to-face with a new problem. The overconnectivity and the vast expanse of information on the internet are overwhelming for a person, leading to problems like anxiety, fear, depression, and fear of missing out (FOMO).

To take steps and create a healthy distance from constant connectivity, one has to realize how these everyday habits are affecting our mental health. From waking up in the morning to falling asleep at night, social media has become a huge part of life for most of the people. Whether as a creator or consumer, the need to maintain a distance from social media is more important than ever.
The term “detox” is used in physical reference to flushing out the toxins from the body. The digital detox is a form of mental preservation, to give yourself the time and space to rest. There are small steps a person can take every day to check their social media consumption.

There are timers on social media applications; by enabling them, you will be informed after you reach a certain time period. This will help manage how much time you spend on a platform.
To create a no-phone zones, a person can label certain places as no-phone zones where there will be no use of phones, like while having a meal, walking in a park, or riding a bus. Focusing on one thing at a time helps one to connect with their surroundings. Instead of using a phone in these places, one can talk to family or engage in their hobbies or simply walk in nature.
Not using a phone in the early morning and late at night can make a huge difference in everyday life.
To avoid using the phone during conversations and social gatherings and give more importance to connect with people in real life.

Apart from that, there are features that can be used while using a social media platform. Most social media platforms come with customisation features. These features can be used while using a platform to block out the content that can cause anxiety or fear.
It’s important to protect one’s mental health, which does not come with huge steps but small everyday habits.