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Over 200 people pledged to embrace a culture of digital wellbeing last week in Detroit. This was just one small step towards digital wellness within the workplace! Beyond Detroit, Digital Wellness is on the forefront of many peoples minds.

During the Apple Developers conference yesterday, they announced that the new iOS will have settings that focus on your digital health. This announcement comes in the wake of Google’s latest Android updates that focus on digital wellbeing. Beyond these two leaders, there are other organizations embracing a culture of digital wellness.

But you don’t have to wait for your company to implement a digital wellness program. You can start by making a few tiny shifts in your workday. Here are 5 simple ways to help you and encourage your team to embrace a culture of digital wellbeing.

5 Ways to Create A Culture of Digital Wellbeing

  1. Establish communication preferences: In some organizations, there are over four generations working together under one roof. If you prefer that your new intern pick up the phone and call you and they prefer that you send them a Snapchat, then it’s on you to establish your communication preferences.
  2. Set email expectations: Find yourself catching up on email over the weekends? Be sure to let your team know that this doesn’t mean they have to respond. If you haven’t let them know this, there’s a good chance they are monitoring email on the weekends while they should be making memories with their friends and family!
  3. Start your meetings with something good: Positive energy attracts positive people. Start by sharing something positive or light hearted. It could be that you had a great workout yesterday, or you recently adopted a dog, or you reconnected with an old friend. It doesn’t matter what it is; just make sure it’s positive!
  4. Encourage mental breaks: There’s no shortage of research on the benefits of meditation. If you feel intimidated by the idea of meditating, start by taking a 5 minute break and close your eyes and practice some deep breathing. Be sure to put your phone on Do Not Disturb 😉 Have trouble closing your eyes at work? Grab a sheet of paper and write down things you are grateful for. Gratitude helps create a heart filled with Joy.
  5. Promote physical activity: Struggling to find time to exercise? Try squeezing in a quick workout over lunch. And if you plan ahead, you’ll pack your lunch and save money and avoid eating at your desk. Working out over lunch sound impossible? At least take a break and head outside for a lap around your office. Movement and fresh air may give you that burst of energy you need to finish the day strong!

Bonus Tip: Choose Grace over Guilt

Workplace guilt is a silent killer in promoting digital wellbeing in the workplace. If your job allows you to embrace any of the ideas above, then do it! And if you are feeling guilty about what someone may think, give yourself some grace and go talk to them. Let them know that you are choosing to work on your mental and physical health so that you can be healthier at work. There’s a high probability they’re also searching for ways to take a break from the screen. They’re just looking for someone to help get them motivated!

And remember, no setting on your phone can determine your overall health. The sheer will power inside of you will determine how you embrace a culture of digital wellbeing. You can do it!

p.s.

Be sure to check out the video of over 200 people pledging to create a culture of digital wellbeing!

Past Events

When was the last time you went to the bathroom without your phone?

Can’t remember?

Either can I.

I have a love-hate relationship with my phone. It loves me because I touch it and give it attention all the time. And I hate it because I touch it and give it attention all the time.

I’ve been advocating for healthy digital habits for over 5 years. During this time, I’ve watched my own habits go up and down like cell phone reception in Northern Michigan.

I’ve heard some fascinating (and funny) behaviors expressed from audience members during my talks. Let’s see which of the habits you can relate to most.

10 SIGNS YOU NEED A BREAK

#1 — You hide in the bathroom to check your phone. Not sure if this one is just for parents of young children, but I find myself extending my own potty breaks in hopes to escape the temper tantrum and poopy diaper that awaits me. If you don’t have kids, consider this — when was the last time you went to the bathroom without your phone?

#2 — You’re too tired to be intimate but can lay in bed for hours on Instagram. Thankfully, I can’t relate to this one, but I have heard this from multiple audience members. A woman in her mid 20’s stated, “I just want to be left alone so I can go to bed and enjoy Instagraming by myself.”

#3 — You get honked at every time the light turns green. Looking down at your phone during a red light isn’t texting and driving, right? Wrong. Even though it doesn’t seem as bad, there is a good chance that if you’re scrolling at a red light, you’re scrolling going 80 mph down the highway.

#4 — You have aches and pains in places you didn’t know could hurt. You wonder why your neck always hurts. You’re convinced you have a bum thumb. Your eyes burn and your migraine is back. Rx = Take 3 days off your device and call me in the morning. xoxo, Dr. Obvious.

#5 — You can’t put down your phone. Just-one-more-text.You started the day with your phone, you’ve brought it to the bathroom, you’ve driven it to work, you’ve placed it next to your fork at dinnertime. Heck you’ve even set it on your butt for the better part of the day. You’re fighting exhaustion yet your phone is always with you.

#6 — Your doctor has the same last name as a search engine. Who needs a doctor when you have google? Aside from the fact that you’ve misdiagnosed yourself with the measles, bird flu, and other fatal illnesses all within the last 6 months.

#7 — Your 30-minute workout isn’t ‘working out’ so well. You spent the first 15 minutes trying to find that perfect Pandora channel to pump-you-up. The remaining time was spent doing reps of texting, checking email, and the occasional phone call.

#8 — You realize group texts aren’t the same as hanging with friends. It’s 11:00 pm at night and you’re climbing into bed. One of your friends sends a group text to a dozen people. You try your hardest to ignore it and even think about using the Do Not Disturb feature. You opt to head to bed instead and enjoy a broken nights sleep with annoying notifications drifting in your dreams.

#9 — You wish you had more time for hobbies. If only there were more time in the day. Oh wait, what about the 160 times that you checked your phone today? Add that time up over the course of the week and you may find a couple extra hours to dabble in that craft you’ve been longing to take up.

#10 — You’ve written a song about your phone. Okay, this one may just be for me. But while I’m on the topic, take a minute and check out this love ballad I wrote for my phone titled, “Disconnect Me”. #SpokenWord