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7 Best Ways to Reclaim Your Life with a Digital Detox
Why You May Be Ready for a Digital Detox While technology has improved our lives in countless ways, it has also presented many unique challenges. Due to the prevalence of digital devices, people today have grown accustomed to using social media to stay connected with the world. However, overdependence on devices can cause people to feel isolated – which is a double whammy in our stay-at-home existence. Most people place a high priority on maintaining strong connections. Sadly, social media can only provide the semblance of connection to others. "The bitter paradox of social media is that even while connected you can feel isolated." Your Brain and Screens Mounting research suggests that excessive screen time may be linked to cognitive, behavioral, and mood problems. The longing for genuine connection may create a vicious circle where a lonely individual interacts on social media only to feel more alone and isolated. This emptiness may create a craving for a deeper connection that leads to even longer screen sessions. Due to this growing hunger for connection, many have become attached to their devices over time. If left unchecked, this near-obsessive need can lead to digital dependence. Digital Dependence Few would argue that we’re becoming increasingly dependent on technology. For many, the desire to stay connected to the internet 24/7 has become a compulsion. But is there such a thing as digital dependence, and if so, does it come with a price? Leading cognitive neuroscientists (some specializing in “technopathology”) have identified new brain complications linked to society’s widespread reliance upon technology. These conditions range from a kind of separation panic over misplacing a device to hearing a phantom ring when no one is calling. Physical Complications In addition to its unhealthy influences on the brain, screen fixation also can take its toll on the body. Many screen bound individuals live a sedentary lifestyle. Becoming the proverbial “couch potato” can prevent you from maintaining healthy habits such as consistent physical activity, a healthy diet, and proper motivation to set and achieve goals…not to mention much-needed socialization. Remaining sedentary can increase risk factors for many illnesses and can even shorten your lifespan. One study found that internet obsession can even weaken immune function. Sleep Disruptions Spending long hours staring at screens can also disrupt your sleep. This is particularly true at night since the artificial light from screens can delay melatonin production and disrupt your body’s 24-hour circadian rhythms and sleep/wake cycle. Since sleep deprivation is linked to a host of mental and physical issues, it’s best to tuck in your devices at least one hour before you tuck yourself into bed. Bottom line: spending too much time browsing the internet, engaging on social media, watching TV and movies, playing video games, or occupying yourself with any other leisure activity that involves a screen, can potentially steal your health. To prevent the many adverse effects associated with screen fixation, try these 7 simple ways to improve your digital well-being: 7 Ways to Reset Your Mind with a Digital Detox 1. Get Moving When you’re sitting on the couch watching TV or YouTube, your brain isn’t being challenged. Find an outdoor activity (such as hiking, biking, walking, jogging, etc.) you enjoy so much, you’d rather do it than look at a screen. It’s recommended that you get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day, so get moving. 2. Healthy Pleasure Centers Deep inside the brain, your pleasure centers respond to several neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine. When dopamine is depleted, low mood and motivation are much more likely to occur. Monitor your high-excitement activities, limit video games, and boost your dopamine naturally by engaging in meaningful conversations and fun outdoor activities. 3. Tech Timeout It’s not unusual for parents to limit their kids’ TV or tablet time, so why shouldn’t that same rule apply to adults? Establish a time when all devices will be turned off for the remainder of the evening. Not only will this provide a break from calling, texting, browsing the internet, and posting content on social media, it will allow you to spend more time with family. 4. Streamline Your Screen Time Using devices or playing video games for hours on end can be habit-forming. Excessive screen time has been linked to a greater risk of developing attention problems. Determine a screen time limit each day and use a timer to remind you to disengage from screens and engage with people. 5. Tech-free Bedroom Remove all electronic devices from your bedroom since they emit light that can stimulate the brain and keep you awake. A tech-free bedroom can help reduce harmful electromagnetic frequencies (EMF), which might also interfere with your sleep. Creating a relaxing environment, free from the distractions of the outside world, may help facilitate better sleep. 6. One Screen at a Time It’s common for people to use more than one form of technology at the same time. To prevent your attention from being divided by multiple devices, follow the “one screen at a time” rule. This should aid your ability to focus while also giving your overstimulated brain some much-needed downtime. 7. Internet Fast A great way to prevent the onset of digital dependence is to reserve one day of the week for the internet fast. Rather than being glued to a screen all day, find a new hobby, have a quality conversation, start an exercise routine, or enjoy the beauty of the great outdoors. You might be surprised at how many things you can do, and how much fun you can have while taking a break from the internet. Implementing these 7 tips can help limit your screen time, reduce your exposure to EMFs, and improve your mental, physical, and overall well-being. Most importantly, they can help you live in harmony with technology rather than being controlled by it. At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.
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Relax Your Mind With GABA
Do you often feel worked up, irritable or sad for no good reason? Do you spend a lot of your time feeling stressed and worried? Not as interested in having fun? Have friends or family members expressed their concerns over your well-being? Though there could be any number of explanations for what you’re going through, one possibility is that your neurons aren't releasing neurotransmitters at optimal levels. Our brains may use as many as 100 different neurotransmitters, with GABA being one of the most important. What Are Neurotransmitters? Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that neurons (nerve cells) release to allow them to communicate with other neurons. The neurotransmitter most associated with calming effects in the brain is GABA (technically Gamma-AminoButyric Acid). Clinical research suggests taking GABA by mouth can help cope with stress, improve mood, and generally have calming effects. What Can GABA Do for You? In addition to rhyming with the feel-good 70s group ABBA, GABA has been found by clinical research to help reduce stress and produce groovy feelings. This neurotransmitter’s primary effect is believed to be holding back our nerve cells from excess firing. GABA also is fundamentally important for the healthy maturation of new nerve cells (neurogenesis) and for the overall development and maintenance of the brain. Also, GABA has mild relaxation properties that can support a balanced mood and restful sleep. Lower levels of this neurotransmitter in some brain regions has been linked to mood challenges, difficulties with self-control, and excessive worry. Gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA) is an amino acid and neurotransmitter that regulates brain excitability by inhibiting excessive firing of neurons, resulting in a sense of calm. Supplementing with GABA can help flip the "off" switch on worrisome, ruminating thoughts by supporting the body’s natural mechanism for quieting the mind. Are You Low on GABA? If you’ve suffered emotional trauma or are under a great deal of stress, it's possible your GABA levels are less than optimal and contributing to your feeling anxious, unmotivated, uptight, or just plain sad. If you tend to predict the worst, are wracked with nervousness, have chronic muscle tension or other stress-related feelings, it might be worth taking steps to increase your brain GABA levels. If you’re one of the millions of Americans struggling with mood or sleep problems, the good news is that you do have a shot to get control of these feelings. Try these five steps to start living a happier life… 5 Ways to Calm Your Mind Using GABA Be Grateful One way to boost your mood and reduce anxiety is to write down five things you are grateful for every day. Research suggests that focusing on gratitude helps to calm your deep limbic areas and enhance the other judgment centers of the brain. When you focus on what you love, your brain works better, and you’ll have a chance to feel better. You'll likely notice a significant positive difference in your level of happiness over a pretty brief period. Do Yoga and Get a Massage Practicing yoga and getting massages can do more than improve your physical function. Clinical studies indicate that both are beneficial for improving mood and coping with stress. Massage can lower the stress hormone cortisol while increasing the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, which work cooperatively with GABA. Yoga actually can increase brain GABA while improving anxious feelings and overall mood. Soothing Tunes Listening to soothing music can help relieve stress by triggering biochemical stress reducers in your brain. Due to an increase in dopamine levels, music can also improve mood, boost energy, and help with focus and concentration. When used properly, music is medicine. Stress Reducing Strategies When you’re under stress, your body cortisol and other messengers that push your brain to seek out rewards—cravings. For many of us, cravings are triggered by unpleasant emotions, including stress and anxiety, as well as being sleep deprived due to stress. Making sure to get enough sleep can reduce cravings and help you feel level-headed enough to deal with the cravings. Rather than giving in to your cravings, utilize stress management techniques—take a vigorous walk, do yoga, or relax in a hot bath. Meditation, diaphragmatic breathing, intense exercise, hypnosis and optimizing vitamin D levels are also great ways to improve self-control and make better judgment calls so that you truly control your brain. GABA Calming Support GABA Calming Support is a unique combination of clinically proven ingredients that help cope with restlessness, irritability and other challenges associated with occasional anxiety. This supplement provides GABA chemically identical to the GABA our nerve cells make. It also contains ingredients that help our nerve cells respond better to GABA. At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about GABA Calming Support and our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD. *These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.
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