Why you should take a digital disconnection on vacation
The doctors emphasize that it is key to assume digital disconnection during free time or vacations as necessary. The reasons.
Without mental health, there is no health. Well-being is unfeasible if we are unbalanced, if stress devastates us and invades all the wineries. Taking a break and lowering a change on a physical and mental level is essential to recharge energy and take care of our body at all levels. For this, it is necessary to do something more than distance yourself from work: digital detoxification must be added to the disconnection from work, according to doctors. You have to turn off the screens to turn on other things.
Digital disconnection on vacation is essential
Vacations are a time to rest and recharge. Digital disconnection allows you to free yourself from the stress and pressure associated with work and daily responsibilities. By disconnecting, you can relax and fully enjoy your moments of rest.
Overexposure to technology and constant connection to electronic devices can negatively affect mental and emotional health. Constantly checking emails, work messages, or the news can lead to anxiety and burnout. Digital disconnection allows you to free your mind and be more present in the present moment.
Why make a digital disconnection on vacation
According to Dr. Augusto Zafra, a psychiatrist, head of the hospital detoxification and dual pathology unit at Hospital Vithas Aguas Vivas, it is vital to assume that it is necessary to disconnect digitally during free time or vacations. "Just as we assume that it is necessary at the work level, we must pause the screens," he highlights.
"There is increasing awareness of the mental and psychological need for digital disconnection, something accepted and established at the work level, but the opposite is true when it comes to applying this disconnection during free time or the vacation period," he says.
"Many people have the mistaken perception that the fundamental recreational activity during these periods of rest has to be the interaction with social networks and being in the network continuously. On the contrary, it is essential to become aware of the importance of digital disconnection during the holiday period". According to the psychiatrist, "digital disconnection represents a growing challenge for mental health. It is key to developing a healthy and balanced life."
It is that technological advancement has transformed the way we work, socialize and entertain ourselves. Relationships changed with the 24x7 digital connection. For this reason, it is key to seek a balance, a moderation that returns us to ourselves.
The excess of screens and the hyperconnection "have a hidden face that cannot be ignored and that appears
when there is an overexposure, and that overexposure crosses certain limits that can harm the person in a multidimensional way, interfering in their present and future life", adds the expert.
Children first: an essential digital detox on vacation
Exposure to digitization and social networks is of greater interest when talking about the
developing brains of children and adolescents. Zafra explains: "the brain of the little ones is nourished by fast, sequenced, and high-intensity sensory stimuli that can generate neuronal tissue that tends to hyperstimulation, immediacy, and loss of attentional focus. These brains process information in a different and its future emotional impact is highly uncertain.
Precisely, it is important that adults are vigilant if they observe inappropriate use of technology. "Warning if there is a pathological, obsessive and impulsive behavior, capable of generating psychological disorders that interferes with the healthy development of children and adolescents on their way to adulthood", highlights Zafra.
The fact is that doctors and organizations agree that terms such as "overexposure", "technological dependence" or "psychophysical discomfort" are becoming more frequent in the population. The consequences? "Abuse, impulsivity and loss of control; obsessive behaviors; social isolation and loneliness; loss of social skills; low self-esteem; anxiety and depression; stress, neurocognitive overload and physical and mental exhaustion", warns the psychiatrist.
Self-discipline in adults and control and limit in children is essential. It is not easy because free time is associated with entertainment and digital tools are very tempting due to their accessibility, immediacy and the amplification of stimuli that they can offer us, but we must be aware. On vacation, give your brain and your children's the gift of connecting with other types of stimuli.
Turn off the screens, turn on the body
For adequate mental health care and brain rest, it is important to establish guidelines, such as limits in a clear and committed way. It is not a challenge or a punishment, it is a care. It is necessary to define specific hours to use electronic devices and social networks and dedicate time to activities that promote physical and emotional well-being.
Exercising, playing, meditating, reading or spending time outdoors can help counteract the negative effects of technology on our mental health, while allowing the possibility to recharge
In a healthy way.
It is also important to foster interpersonal connection and cultivate social and emotional relationships outside of the digital environment. To take care of mental health, it is vital to prioritize quality time with family and friends or participate in group activities that allow physical interaction to activate our social brain.
It is also important to establish healthy sleep routines, since technology before bed can interfere with the quality of sleep. It is recommended to establish a digital disconnection routine at least an hour before bedtime.
Technology free zones
The psychiatrist warns of the need to "establish technology-free zones in the home. As a rule, it is defined that the digital connection cannot interrupt the acts of breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is linked to practicing mindfulness, which can
be an effective tool that allows us to be aware of the present moment.From there, we can pay attention to our experiences, to the flavors, to the feelings, to what the body has to tell us.
Digital distraction impairs our ability to enjoy the here and now. Getting away from screens is treating yourself better.
