Technostress is the need to know topic this week. It’s a relatively new term, reflective of our 24/7 plugged in lifestyle, which means anxiety from overexposure to technological devices. It may sound a little silly, but it can be very damaging to your health.
Take a minute and think: How many times a day do you interact with some kind of computer screen? Do you have a cell phone or smart phone? Laptop? Tablet? iPod or mp3 player? TV? Chances are you have more than one of these items, and it’s very likely that you have them close by at all times. Sure, it’s great to be able to check your email from your doctor’s waiting room, check in on Facebook from your favorite coffee shop in Bown Crossing, or compose a Tweet from Bogus Basin. But is it really necessary? What else could you be doing instead?
Technostress refers to that feeling that you can never quite unplug. How many people do you see checking their phones in restaurants and other public places? It’s convenient, but all that multitasking takes its toll. We develop an unhealthy mindset that we are never done with anything and can’t move forward. Not only is this stressful, but it can lead to poor concentration, impatience, memory loss, sleep problems, and irritability. Furthermore, technology has enabled us to adopt a more sedentary lifestyle. This can lead to a host of physical problems, including weight gain, back problems, joint pain, headaches, and a higher risk for increased cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease.
Here’s an example of how technology can be a double-edged sword. Let’s say you’re planning a vacation to Sun Valley. You can look up information online, compare prices and plan your travel. Transfer funds from your savings account to your checking from your tablet and book a flight. Email the hotel to ask about room packages, instead of picking up the phone and calling. Shop for new ski gear online, read reviews and make purchases from your laptop. On your way to the airport, stop at the ATM to get some extra cash to spend. Then check in for your flight from your smart phone. Notice something? At no point have you interacted directly with another human. And you probably did most of it sitting down.
To avoid technostress, the most important thing you can do is take some time each day to completely unplug. That email will be there in the morning. Let it wait. Also be sure to take regular breaks throughout the day to walk around or at least stretch and take a few deep breaths. Make some time to get to the gym or head outdoors for some exercise and fresh air. You may choose to listen to music to get you through your workout, but be sure that’s the only other thing you’re doing. (To the guy in the BSU cap who works out at the Boise Healthy Living Examiner’s gym in the mornings, carries two phones and watches TV while he works on his iPad and listens to his mp3, she’s talking to you, and you’re welcome.)
Other ways to reduce technostress include setting aside a certain time of day to return emails and phone calls or do a video chat with your clients, and then sticking to this schedule. Most emails and calls don’t require an immediate reply. Also, be sure to get up and eat lunch somewhere besides your desk. If you must take your phone with you, don’t check it while you eat. It’s there in the event your kid’s school calls to say they puked on the playground, not so you can read that email blast from Payless Shoe Source announcing their latest BOGO event. Think about the things you used to do before your smart phone became an additional appendage and you developed an addiction to Words With Friends or Farmville. Give up computer games as a way to relax and instead play a game of checkers with your kids or get back to that knitting project lurking in your closet. Or how about an outing to Idaho IceWorld or a class from the Boise Parks and Recreation Department? Try keeping a journal and writing in it every day. You may find it difficult to read your penmanship, and that’s a good indicator that you’re overusing the keyboard.
Technostress may not seem like an issue to you, but if you checked your phone while reading this article, maybe it is. Be smart and disconnect, just for a little while, for better health.
Talk it up:
Do you suffer from technostress?
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