I love technology. It enables me to perform tasks with much greater efficiency freeing me up to spend more time with people I care about. However, there is a downside. Science Direct estimates that 210 million people worldwide suffer from addiction to social media and the internet worldwide. In this, they have lost their agency to direct how they spend their time. This often leads to signs of depression, anxiety and the fear of missing out which tends to strengthen the addiction. Technology over time changes the way we see the world.

Is social media directing how you spend your time? Are you comparing yourself and your lifestyle against friends and “influencers”? Then it’s time to practise intentional digital habits to free yourself and free up your time.

Experiment – start small – why not leave your ‘phone switched off for the first hour of the day? If that feels too much, start with 30 mins. Keep this up for a week and review what impact it has made to the shape of your day and the shape of your week. 

And you could use that 30 mins to reflect on how you would like to spend your time and set intentions for the day, the week and perhaps even for your life.