The work-from-home dynamic made us all reconsider our digital habits. Excessive screen time and unnecessary time spent with your smart devices are becoming more and more of a problem. After we're done with work, we still spend time staring at a screen, unfortunately.
Let's set this straight - we're not going to talk about the dangers of too much screen time. Instead, let's talk about the tools you can use to optimize and rearrange it.
1. A Digital Organizer/Planner
Knowing where to go and what to do next is crucial if you want to plan your time efficiently. There are a million options when it comes to digital planners, but what's most important is - does it fit your habits?
From agile boards to simple daily planners, all you have to do is play around with the system that looks most appealing to you. Even if you get the most expensive premium planner, if it doesn't meet your requirements, it won't help much.
So, take some time, play around, and find out which planning system fits you the most. Luckily, a lot of these apps and services come with free trials.
2. Password Manager
As we immerse ourselves more and more into the digital world, the number of credentials we need to keep track of grows as well. Everyone has used weak passwords at some point. But did you know that 30% of data breaches happen because of weak passwords? Weak passwords just aren't an option anymore.
To make your digital life easier, make sure to get a proper password manager, which is essentially a virtual vault that will give you a chance to:
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Use different passwords for every account you use;
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Freely use complex passwords since you won't have to remember them;
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Have a safe space to store your credentials and use them whenever needed.
In the era of, well, cyber everything, keeping a firm grasp on your credentials is paramount. Nothing makes your digital life harder than losing access to an account, business or personal.
3. To-Do Lists and Notes
If organizers and planners seem overwhelming to you, there are lighter versions - To-do lists and notepad apps. Tools like these have been proven to increase productivity and even reduce anxiety.
Most apps nowadays allow you to sync all your devices into a single control point. This means that you get to write/read/edit notes and to-do lists from every device you use. On top of that, you can sync your to-do list or notepad app with your preferred calendar app.
One thing to keep in mind - notepad apps ramp up the pricing tiers quickly once you start adding more devices.
4. Time-Management Apps
One of the main stressors (digital and IRL) nowadays is poor time management. From project deadlines to organizing birthday parties, time organization is everything. And we all struggle with it. Time-management apps may seem similar to planners and calendars, but they focus more on the immediate period of time.
One great example of a working time-management system is the Pomodoro Technique. And there are apps that teach you how to utilize the 25-minute increments to manage your time more efficiently.
5. Mindfulness Apps
Everybody struggles with mental health issues like anxiety and stress, especially leaders. Meditation and mindfulness apps have been with us for a while now. But, since the pandemic started, we all started experiencing more and more stress daily. This is where these apps come into play.
Essentially speaking, mindfulness is a form of meditation that directs you to focus on the now, with no judgment or deep interpretation. Mindfulness apps will help you get there, with some practice, of course.
Taking a moment to destress shouldn't just be reactive. It should be proactive as well. By practicing mindfulness every day, you can prevent a lot of tomorrow's stress.
6. Timed Dark Mode and Auto-DND
Lastly, let's talk about the visual and auditory aspects of digital life. While these may seem insignificant, scientists are just starting to understand the effects of screens (and notifications) on us.
So, to fully utilize your smartphone/laptop capabilities, make sure to set dark mode, blue light filter, and DND (do not disturb) modes properly. Basically, you can set your phone to turn on dark mode, eye-comfort filter, and DND mode at a specific time of day. For example, some people choose to go to DND right after work hours. Another great feature you should use is setting your phone to dark mode (with the blue light filter) as soon as the sun sets.
These features are available on virtually every smartphone and laptop made in the last few years. If your system doesn't have it natively - there's probably an app for it!
Work Smart, Not Hard!
Technology can be a blessing and a curse. On the internet, we get to make money, socialize, play, enjoy art, procrastinate, etc. Since tech is always evolving, you should get to choose where it lands on the blessing-curse scale.
As technology evolves, it's high time our digital habits evolve as well!
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of sciencetimes.com
