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Limiting internet usage for mental health

SOFIA NOOR RAFA | Wednesday, 15 May 2024



Thoughts we have when we chew our sumptuous burgers in a burger joint in the city, we tend to bother our experience with the presence of a Wi-Fi connection to our smartphones. However, we miss out on small details that are supposed to bring joy to us, like the ability to afford good food or self-gratitude may sound too zen; think of a friend that is long gone and could be by your side at that happy moment. Or, think of treating your family members with the burger you ordered if you relished that to the extent of self-satisfaction.
Statista, a service presenting global data on the internet, reported in January that more than 60% of the global population using the internet remains concerned about facing misleading statistics. But with our bare eyes and ability to speculate, we can safely presume that the internet is influential and sometimes a mispractice.
Newer problems related to our mental well-being arise every day due to the heavy dependence on the internet. It is a notion to ponder that the things that are so widely consumed by the world need to be limited by individuals to encourage a globally healthy practice of enhancing our mental health. Here are tips for paying an ode to that:
Ask yourself about the necessity: Even psychotherapists suggest we consciously solve the problems bothering us for a long or short time. Asking questions gets to the obvious. This question is straightforward and will take you to your answer. If you think you can go without the internet, leave it at the bay and try to walk from the shore by yourself. This way, your brain will work more actively to support yourself to solve a problem entirely by yourself. Use the internet to download content and watch content offline.
Make up your mind: Set a strict goal that you will not mindlessly roam on the internet for minor reasons. Make a conscious effort and set boundaries for yourself from the internet. Instead of scrolling aimlessly, encourage yourself to focus on tasks that require effort and attention. For example, you could set a rule to only use the internet for specific tasks, such as checking emails or researching a particular topic, and avoid using it for entertainment or procrastination. Tackle your week-long due tasks that need your dedication and complete tasks that you left midway.
Throw yourself an old challenge: We tend to forget old challenges like solving a calculus problem or doing a math challenge that was once frequently solved. Open up one similar problem and try solving it. Look up on the internet to see how much you remember something you did a long time ago. Or solve a physics or chemistry math problem that includes some visualisation. Try brushing up on a topic you studied two years ago or older.
Organise your personal spaces: Change your room's parts and try cleaning up regularly. Change the bedcover, clean up the walls or the attached porch, brush off the dust off your desk and wash clothes or pieces of dirty fabric. In the same way, prepare a cheat sheet for your office, things that you need to improve the place, and make it feel like a living place to others. Use office essentials and office extras like air fresheners, quick face masks, food or drink, books, office file keepers or diaries. Stack away things that you need back in your home.
Take frequent breaks from the internet: Your brain may get caught up in something and not send you logical decisions or process the stimuli when you stay online or use a device for a long time. Take breaks to whisk off your attention. Be strict with yourself. Sometimes, when too many things are going on at once in our phone's main memory, they hang and become slow; cleaning the memory up or removing some unnecessary tasks does the job and helps the phone run again properly. Similarly, remove your body and mind from devices and focus elsewhere.

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