Quick Links
An increasing amount of our time today is spent either behind a screen or attending to our growing number of tech gadgets, leading to fatigue and stress. It doesn’t have to be this way. With some pointers, you can develop a healthy relationship with tech and remain productive.
1Buy Wired Gadgets
Buying a new wireless gadget means adding yet another item to the pile of gadgets you need to charge. The more wireless gadgets you have, the more of your attention and time they will require, forcing you to track charging cycles and offsetting the benefit of additional mobility they provide. This is a big reasonwhy I still use wired headphonesand a wired keyboard.
If going wired is not an option for you, consider buying wireless gadgets that run on removable AA or AAA batteries, such as a wireless mouse, a Bluetooth speaker, or even an electric toothbrush. This way, you can just swap out batteries when they’re low and reduce your dependency on charging cables and docks.
By opting for wired gadgets and removable batteries, you’d also be saving more money and cutting down on e-waste since you won’t have to replace your gadgets nearly as often.
2Create Tech-Free Zones in Your Home
Designating a space in your home as a tech-free zone can help establish boundaries between your digital and offline life. Commit to having no electronics in this space. That means no phones, tablets, smartwatches, headphones, e-readers, or any other smart gadget.
The space you choose to designate as tech-free will depend on your lifestyle and who you live with. If you have kids, for instance, it could help to not allow gadgets near the dining table or in the living room, so family members are encouraged to converse.
For me, it’s my balcony. It’s where I go to disconnect, relax, meditate, read, and sometimes even take a nap. It can help to make your tech-free zone look visually different from the rest of your place, like adding a grass carpet, decor, or mood lighting.
3Mute Notifications From All Unnecessary Apps
I don’t know about you, but being bombarded with notifications all day every day to the point where you become desensitized to them isn’t my idea of having a healthy relationship with tech. If you’re tired of it as well, consider muting notifications from all unnecessary apps.
This includes social media apps, games, YouTube, shopping apps, dating apps, news apps, food delivery apps, ride-sharing apps, and more. The idea here is to keep your notification drawer reserved for things that actually need your attention.
Access your notification history to see which apps send the most notifications.
4Unsubscribe to Non-Essential Media
When I’m having trouble deciding what to keep and what to bin, I ask myself this: “Can I see myself being associated with this?” You’d be surprised how quickly you may clean up your list of subscriptions and followed accounts, and hence reduce distractions.
5Avoid Screens Before Bedtime
The downsides of using your phone right before bed are pretty well documented. The blue light emitted by screens can disrupt your circadian rhythm by suppressing melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep and compromising sleep quality, which may make you groggy and irritable the next morning.
Granted, you canuse a blue light filterto somewhat mitigate this, but it doesn’t solve the underlying problem of tech overload. To avoid this, establish a no-screens rule at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Instead, wind down with a book, meditation, journaling, or listen tocalming ASMR sounds.
Similarly, resist the urge to check your phone first thing in the morning. Starting your day with screens often triggers stress and reactive thinking. Instead, create a morning routine that prioritizes mindfulness—stretching, sipping coffee, or planning your day. These simple habits can help you feel more rested and focused throughout the day.
6Take a Social Media Break
Quitting social media altogether is next to impossible for most of us, but we’re also aware of all its negative consequences. The solution? Take a month off. Commit to not opening any social media app for a whole month and reward yourself on the first day of the following month. That way, it feels like a goal and not a punishment.
I’ve noticed that deleting the apps doesn’t really work for many people because they just end up downloading them again within a week anyway. Instead, considerhiding the apps from your app drawerand home screen to avoid getting tempted to open them.
More importantly, plan ahead of how you’re going to use all this extra time, because you’re very likely to relapse if you have nothing else to do and are feeling bored. You could try spending more time at the gym, picking up a side gig, planning a trip, or cleaning your house.
7Use Dumb Alternatives
A lot of the time, we buy certain gadgets thinking they’ll help change our behavior when, in fact, they don’t. Buying a smartwatch isn’t suddenly going to make you motivated to work out if you’ve been avoiding it all this while, for instance. Instead, it’ll just make you feel guilty for delaying it and constantly remind you when you don’t meet your fitness goals, adding stress.
Buy things that are useful at the time of purchase and not based on the perceived improvement in lifestyle they promise after the purchase. And if that’s the goal, regular “dumb” gadgets pose less hassle and are cheaper than their smart alternatives.
Personally, smart home gadgets and appliances never struck me as particularly useful and instead tend to instill a certain uneasiness, mostly on account of privacy and security concerns. Many smart home devices collect data about your habits, location, and preferences which can create a sense of being “watched” or monitored.
I don’t need my refrigerator to learn my eating habits, and smart door locks don’t make sense to me because a burglar is more likely to break your window to enter your house than to bother hacking your smart lock. The point is that over-reliance on smart gadgets can expose you to security vulnerabilities and add unnecessary mental load.
Tech fatigue is all too common, and not paying attention to it can lead to burnout. Try these solutions to build a healthy relationship with tech and see which ones work for you.
