Screens call for our attention all day long. There is your phone screen, computer screen and the television all offering information and entertainment. We are so attached to our screens it can be hard to turn away from them. Our bodies tell us when we have spent too much time hunched over a screen. Our backs, wrists, shoulders all call out for us to take a break. I know it can be hard to turn away from your screen but here are some reasons to make it worth your while.
Sleep better
This article from the Sleep Foundation recommends removing all electronics from the bedroom. They advocate turnings away from your screens at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
We’ve heard for a number of years now that the blue light emitted from our phones, tablets, computers, and televisions upsets our circadian rhythm.
In fact, the article talks about establishing a nighttime routine which lets your body wind down and prepare for a good night’s rest. Think about what will help you get ready for sleep. Try a nice hot cup of herbal tea or maybe a soak in a bath filled with lavender scent. You can also find lavender scented mists to spritz on your pillowcase.
Lavender has long been known as a natural alternative to help people relax and may even reduce stress. So spritzing a little lavender scent on your pillowcase may indeed help you to fall asleep faster.
Exercise
Another reason to turn away from your screen is to get some exercise. If we sit in a chair in front of our computers for hours on end our muscles can become stiff.
Consider these two options:
A standing desk and a balance ball chair – with or without a back.
There are all kinds of standing desks out there. The benefit of a standing desk is that you are upright. You can move around while working or while on a Zoom meeting. Shifting your weight from side to side or even just standing still is a form of exercise.
Get a balance ball chair and exercise by working your core as you sit in front of your computer.
These options provide you opportunities to turn away from your screen and exercise while working.
Turning away even for short periods allows your eyes to focus on something other than the screen in front of you.
Take a break and organize
Do have some organizing you want to get done around the house, maybe reduce the clutter? Take a series of ten-minute breaks, use these cards, and get those tasks done.
Decide which room or area of your home you want to address.
Pick a card from that area. Follow the directions on the card and you’re done. Simple!
You will be amazed by what you can accomplish in a mere ten-minutes.
When you take a short break and turn away from your screen you come back to work with a new sense of purpose. Even better if you use some of that time to organize an area of your home.
Turning away from your screen may be hard to do. We all have Zoom meetings to attend, people with whom we want to connect, bills to pay, websites to research, work to do and spam to delete. However, when we do disconnect, we can sleep better, get more exercise, and even become more organized in our homes.
Track the amount of time you spend in front of your computer. Remember to add in time using your phone and watching television. Then reduce the time little by little by taking short breaks and doing other things.
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Diane N. Quintana is a Certified Professional Organizer® ,a Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization®, Master Trainer and owner of DNQ Solutions, LLC and co-owner of Release●Repurpose●Reorganize, LLC based in Atlanta, Georgia. She specializes in residential and home-office organizing and in working with people affected by ADD, Hoarding, and chronic disorganization. Diane and Jonda Beattie are the best-selling authors of: Filled Up and Overflowing.