Too much use of smart phones can have a negative effect on your mental and physical health. Read here to know from expert why should reduce overall screen time.
Too much use of digital devices can lead to eye strain
HIGHLIGHTS
- Too much use of digital screen can affect your mental health
- Spend time in other activities you love for better mental health
- Exercise, read, paint or do whatever you love instead of using phones
The use of digital devices has increased significantly during the past year. This increased dependency has lead to several side effects on one's health. Eye strain, back pain and increase in body weight are some of the outcomes of too much use of digital devices. Not just your physical health, too much use of digital devices affects your mental health too. Studies have also highlighted that too much use of digital devices especially social media puts you at risk of multiple health issues. Nutritionist Lovneet Batra took to Instagram to highlight the need to spend some time off social media for better mental and physical health.
Why you need a digital break?
As a part of her IGTV series '21 health swaps for healthy 2021', she shared how to you should swap one-day social media use with something else.
Batra tells in her IGTV, "It is an irony to post something against the use of social media on a social media platform, but such is life. My latest swap for a fitter you in 2021 is swapping/reducing the use of social media for a book or any other activity that you enjoy, at least once a week."
Staring at phone while eating may not leave you satisfied post-meal
Photo Credit: iStock
It can be quite difficult to stop the use of social media or digital devices even for a day. Social media helps you stay connected, shares information, provides entertainment and much more. But it has its own pros and cons.
"However, it is also quite addictive and we tend to spend more time on it, be more affected by and affect our mental health. This works its way into our eating style as well," the nutritionist adds.
The nutritionist also highlighted another unhealthy habit of using mobile phones while eating.
Also read: 5 Harmful Effects Of Mobile Phones On Your Brain
"Stop scrolling when you eat your food. Just stop, in fact put away the phone and laptops and any other screens while you eat. This way you are more mindful of the food you eat, more aware of what you are eating and how much you are eating. It's just 15- 30 mins after all. You can go back to all of this when you're done," she writes in her post.
Gazing at screens while eating can also make you eat more than required and won't leave you satisfied. Not just reading a book you can try different other activities of your choice to cut screen time.
(Lovneet Batra is a Delhi-based Nutritionist)
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