10 Ways to improve the digital wellness of your team

1. 1. Take frequent breaks

Throughout the day, get up, move around, and gaze at anything other than a screen for 5 to 10 minutes every 1-2 hours. This prevents muscle pain caused by sitting or staring down at electronics.

Blue light glasses are a significant assistance in preventing eye strain and reducing the chance of headaches.

1. 1. Tell your colleagues that you’ll be going away.

This may sound simple, but notify others in your office that you will be on vacation. Before you go, complete the most critical projects and notify colleagues that you will be unlikely to respond to business correspondence while away. While on vacation, avoid continually checking your devices. If you must stay connected to work while on vacation, set out a specified day or time of day to check and respond to emails, text messages, and missed calls.

1. 1. Establish digital boundaries

Because our cell phones enable and encourage continual connection, they are always at our fingertips. One of the most difficult tasks is establishing stronger technological limits since an increase in new platforms, gadgets, and apps over the last decade have produced too much distraction in people’s lives. According to a recent study, even if you successfully ignore your smartphone while focusing on work, the mere presence of your gadget next to you diminishes cognitive ability. Your brain is anticipating a message and devoting resources to the anticipated message rather than remaining focused on the activity at hand.

One simple technique is to keep your phone out of sight and reach when working, and to designate specific times during the day to check for messages and calls. That way, those addictive cues, such as feeling wanted, are kept under control.

1. 1. Take it one step at a time

The most successful strategy to make great life changes is to focus on one change at a time and then move on to the next. Individuals who can pick one positive change they want to make and focus on doing that positive change for a certain amount of time, such as 21 days to begin developing a habit, are far more effective than those who try to accomplish everything for an extended period of time.

Assist your employees in incorporating these positive changes into their professional development path by encouraging continual learning and skill development to make them feel more fulfilled and engaged. Employers may suggest online courses, thought-provoking TED speeches, or even motivating YouTube videos to boost one’s education. Remember that the key to digital wellness is not to limit the amount of time spent online; rather, it is to assist employees in using their online time more effectively and in a way that supports their overall health and well-being. Encourage staff to stay with their learning efforts until they have assimilated the change, resisting the need to jump into something else in the meanwhile.

1. 1. Use time management apps

There are numerous time management applications available to assist technology users in controlling how much time they spend on a specific work. Some also allow you to block distracting sources such as social media.

Android users can use Google’s Digital Wellbeing app to track how much time they spend on different websites or apps. The program also allows users to disable sites and apps that may be providing distractions after a set length of time.

1. 1. Encourage employees to integrate activity into their workstations

Sitting for hours at a time, whether in a real workplace or at home, is taxing on the body. Businesses should encourage employees to move around in whichever way suits them in either scenario. This could include employing an under-the-desk pedal exerciser or a standing desk. It could even be as simple as getting up every hour and going for a quick walk around the house or office.

1. 1. Help employees unwind and disconnect

Businesses that still have a physical office space may want to consider setting up a break room where employees may unwind. Perhaps this is a quiet reading nook equipped with books and periodicals to provide workers with a relaxing place to unwind at lunch. Perhaps something more complex, such as a ping-pong table for friendly competition, is in order.

1. 1. Limit digital meetings

Meetings can reduce employee productivity and create stress. Sending an email or a message using an app like Teams or Slack can often be just as productive and cause less disruption to an employee’s day. Avoid putting employees in positions where they must abandon critical work obligations in order to attend superfluous meetings.

1. 1. Remind employees to leave work at work

Employees’ health depends on them making time for themselves and not spending all of their time away from work thinking about projects. Encourage them to spend time with their friends and family, as well as participate in hobbies, so that they can return to work refreshed.

1. 1. Create a culture of positivity

Finally, one of the keys to long-term success in the workplace is to foster a culture of enjoyment. The three indicators of long-term success and happiness are optimism, viewing stress as a challenge to overcome rather than a threat, and social support.

Intentionally fostering good skill sets at the workplace, such as writing, gratitude, acts of kindness, meditation, and exercise, helps boost individual happiness and foster a positive culture.