IT'S TIME FOR A DIGITAL DETOX

Is your smartphone taking over your life? Switching off can help reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep and boost wellbeing

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What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the mornings? The chances are, you reach for your mobile and check your messages, scroll through social media or read the news headlines. In today’s fast-paced world, our phones are rarely far from our fingertips, but this constant connection could be causing more harm than you think.

“Our mobiles offer a fast-track connection with the world and our friends, but we can feel bombarded by information,” explains leading psychologist Dr Alison McClymont. “People are chronically stressed, and that’s partly due to the constant communication – work is always an email away, parenting pressure is always there on a WhatsApp group, and reminders pop up regularly.”

Of course, there’s also social media to contend with, and it’s well documented that the “perfect” lives we see on TikTok and Instagram can damage our self-esteem.

“When people feel bad about their body image, they often seek out social media instead of staying away from it,” explains psychologist Dr Romi Ran. “They are then flooded with health advice from people who aren’t professionals, which can be harmful. For example, it might lead to them undereating, then getting hungry and binge eating. They then feel ashamed, and go back to taking advice from other people. It’s a vicious circle.”

Worryingly, experts even believe smartphones are eroding our ability to connect with each other.