Johan van Houten on digital detoxing. Photo: Digiminderen. During the Surf Your Stress-week (16 through 20 November) students are offered tools to help them deal with stress. These tools are provided through lectures, sports activities and workshops. Resource discusses three of these activities. Today: Digital detox.
Johan van Houten (expert ‘digital detoxing’) decided to spend an entire year without a cell phone or the internet in 2016. ‘Currently, almost everyone is working and studying from home, so doing so now would be quite a challenge. What I aim for is for people to consider their personal best equilibrium between offline and online.’
Tips and tricks
That balance is different for everyone, Van Houten says. ‘If you spend twelve hours a day in front of a screen, you are likely aware of the health risks. How can you adjust your life to a healthier balance? That is where my help comes in. And, of course, I provide tips & tricks.’
He unveils one of the tips: no phone in the bedroom. ‘If you go to sleep and wake up without your phone, your brain gets more rest. If you are still on your phone just before sleeping, your brain continues to process information. And if you grab your phone as soon as you open your eyes, you immediately focus on other things, rather than living in the moment. So, invest in a decent alarm clock.’
Check out the Surf your stress week programme here.