Why Your Site Content Isn’t Even Getting Ranked

Why Your Site Content Isn’t Even Getting Ranked

Hey Guys, You may not have realized this but there’s a chance Google’s burning here website on Twitter right now when John Mueller from Google was asked about why content that was being crawled was not being indexed or showing up in search and asked about whether or not they should force index the content.

Here’s what he had to say if your site relies on manual index submission for normal content you need to significantly improve your site search console does not fix your site you need to do that yourself how so in this video you hear in a lot walk away with two different things, first of all, you’re gonna understand the nerd burn if you didn’t understand what was just said by nerds about your web site indexing you’ll understand why that was a burn and number two what you’ll understand in this article is exactly what to do to make sure your site is found by Google crawled.

Make sure it’s indexed and that you’re ranking for the things that you want to be ranking for we’re gonna go through the specifics of exactly how to do this is a very procedure driven video exactly so first things first when you create brand new content on a brand new website nobody, not even Google knows it exists however Google is using a lot of tools to constantly crawl the internet.

If you’ve connected Google Analytics they know your website okay lick them out let’s go back to Ricky’s bar where you can come out as soon as we give them attention he does, however, Google has numerous tools that they’re using to identify new websites they have their robots that are constantly crawling the internet that’s kind of a scary image bromide is growing.

We will find you yes crawling the internet I mean if you’ve connected Google Analytics to your website they know what exists right if you’ve connected Google search console if you’re using an Android device to look at your website if you’re using Google Chrome browser to look at your website Google obviously knows it exists and they are out there crawling all the content on the Internet and so they will find it there’s not some special thing needed to be done get you able to find your internet your website on the internet.

However a lot of people feel like there’s no way that can be true and that’s exactly where this tweet came into play people are having problems right now getting their content indexed by Google and so what they’re concerned about is that it’s not being found or crawled at all Google is gonna find your content the way that you can check to make sure that your content has been crawled is by going into Google search console and you’ll there’s a URL report and you are a suspension tool type in the URL and it’s going to show you a green check mark and say this has been crawled it was crawled on this date and some technical information about it and so you’ll know immediately if it happens if your site is existing and you’re updating it frequently you may find that your site is getting crawled within hours of when you release a piece of content.

If your site is brand new it may take a few weeks don’t worry about it it’s okay it will find it and it will crawl it now if for some reason you found an X there that it’s not being crawled then you could manually submit it but like the tweet says it’s a sign that something may not be going well exactly know if your content hasn’t been crawled yet it’s worth going into your WordPress dashboard and clicking on settings and making sure the little box is not checked that says discourage search engines from indexing your site like double negative that yes no checkmark you do not want to discourage them from indexing your website obviously if you wanted to search to show up in Google search.

 

What’s up my shampoo bottle this morning a double they get a no it says yes not tested on animals and I thought that’s that box every time why did they say discouraged anyway I hate that check bars make sure there’s no Jam okay exactly so make sure there’s no check there and then just make sure your contents being crawled if you have a brand new website give it a couple of weeks it’s okay if it takes that that’s perfectly normal next is your content being indexed not the so Google found it is it wanting to even give it the chance of ranking so when Google first finds your website and crawls it’s going to do it’s going to initiate the process of a stepped ranking google sent a patent out about this filed for a patent about a year ago where they’re showing that as soon as they find the content.

 

They’re running some tests to get an initial ranking to see where it should rank what category do we put this site in etc and then it will start doing more user testing which is why it takes more time to this to see how you rank in the actual searches so is your content being indexed the way to find this out is to just do a site colon and your domain name and then you’ll see all of the pages that are actually indexed just go into a browser and go into Google search bar site colon your domain name hit enter and it will list in the search results all of the content that’s been indexed on your web site.

 

Another thing you can do is just grab four sentences the first four sentences of the post and just put that in a search and it’s going to show you right there if it doesn’t pop up even with four sentences of an exact quote of your site then it’s not good so if you have content that when you go check in search console it says it’s been crawled but when you do these you find that it’s not being indexed that’s an indication that there’s an issue with the content itself the content does not meet Google’s quality standards and guidelines to the point that they don’t even believe or at least their computers don’t believe that it should even get a shot at showing up in the Google search results and that’s a problem that no amount of like SEO trickery is going to fix for you this is a problem with the content itself and you need to reevaluate the content as well as like the topic of the content whether or not it’s even a relevant search so don’t spaz out about this spazz out.

 

Nobody says that anymore in the first month or two of your site it’s okay and it’s alright if it takes a little bit of time but if your site is six months old and we’re having a problem this is a sign of a much deeper issue with the content so this is the question that you just have to ask yourself and there’s no silver bullet or anything else that can get around it is your content actually better than what’s appearing in the Google search results right now if not then why is Google gonna waste its time on it now you understand the sick burn the nerd burn this is what he’s saying is saying if you feel like you have to go manually submit each URL every time it’s because we just hate your site and we’re not going to spend crawl budget on that isn’t that yeah that’s why both of us when we read that tweeter like ooh okay.

 

The third situation you may find yourself in is that you know you’ve done both of these checks and your content is showing up like as being indexed but it’s nowhere to be found in an actual search result you go search the primary search term that you should rank for and you’re nowhere in the first several pages of Google that’s a third and separate issue that’s really what the rest of this channel is all about is creating content that’s highly relevant and high quality.

 

So that it meets the needs of the user and if you do that you’re going to start ranking well on Google this is where it gets much more qualitative so Google search console and this more technical stuff I log in maybe twice a year yeah there is some cool data in search console like your impressions and stuff I rarely check it because most of the stuff in there like you’re gonna get an email.

 

If there’s a manual action or a crawler or something like that we need to check on but I just spot check it every once in a while because if you’re using a good theme hint ah Kobato is built for search these if you have a good theme you haven’t done anything goofy with your SEO and you’re just writing solid content you just don’t even need to worry about this I just know it’s going to be found I just don’t need to concern myself but this part the actual rankings this is where it’s a lot more qualitative and so for this, we use a tool called manage WP it costs a buck a month and you can type up to a hundred primary search phrases and what URL you’re trying to use to target that search phrase a blog post that I answer that question and it will just check once a week on Sundays.

 

It runs everything and then usually Sunday night or Monday morning it will have the report for that week and it’s just gonna say you rank number whatever for somebody who searches this primary search phrase and that’s really useful because then I don’t have to Google 100 things to see how all of my blog posts are doing it’s just nice to have a good report just to see am I generally moving up in the rankings and that’s the beauty of it is you it stores that data for you so if you’re using that tool you can look at how you’re doing over time and that way you can get good feedback on things that I did that help to improve my rankings this whole process is not an overnight process most people out there are looking for a silver bullet that’s going to allow them to crack the Google algorithm and ranked number one tomorrow.

 

AHA just put your URL here and you will shoot up if you just put in this meta tag here and do these other things over here your SEO plugins are doing very very little for you they’re not causing your site to get crawled faster indexed faster or ranked better it’s the content itself that’s going to allow you to do really well in the indexing and in the search rankings part and the crawling part as long as you haven’t done something really weird with your website if you’ve just structured your website like a normal WordPress blog Google is going to have no problem crawling your website.

 

So very little of this is the stuff that you really need to worry about and that way you can focus on the content which is what we do that’s why it’s so important to follow a proven step-by-step process to get this done because many are the ways that you can screw up a website and many are the people who will tell you information that will actually just screw up your website and so go check out our webinar where we’re going to explain the process of just SEO and 20 and this is exactly what we do we’re going to walk you through that process of the important steps you need to take to get crawled indexed and ranked well.

 

Source: Income School

13 Perfect Blog Post Title Ideas

What if in about five seconds every time you make a new piece of content, you could increase the traffic that comes to that piece of content by about 10%.

We just did a recent test on this, and it’s something that we all know about, but not enough of us are implementing, so in this video, we’re gonna help you with titles this is really fun.
We have a weekly digest email that goes out to our members, and the subject line usually is weekly digest with an average open rate of about 37%.

13 Perfect Blog Post Title Ideas

So for this last week, we decided to do a split test, and so some of the audience got an email titled weekly digest just got way better finally and instantly nine percent higher open rate on that email. We went back as well and looked through several of the emails we’ve sent out to our email list and which ones were sort of outliers and the kind of titles that they got to check out some of these titles on the screen, and you can see clearly.
Why these emails get opened while a lot of the others don’t the same exact principle applies to blog posts and YouTube video posts, Pinterest pins, everywhere that you’re putting your content out in front of people.
So today we’re gonna talk about some of the things that we’re doing with our titles that we’ve seen to work really well the first thing we need to understand is there are really three different types of titles that we can be creating one is for a piece of content that is purely informational the second it has some interest to it and then a real interest.

Title the reason that it’s very critical that you understand these three different types of titles is because when we talk about this when we talk about making more interesting titles we’ll then go back to somebody’s blog and we look at their titles, and it’s like oh no this is just not going to work for search because they’re using the wrong type of title on a piece of content so an example of that.

Let’s say I’m writing about “the best water filters who are the water filtering pitchers” right like it’s a pretty bland topic nobody’s like into water filters nobody wants to read reviews an hour they just want to know what’s the best water pitcher with a filter in it right this is pretty quick information and so if I write something really flowery it’s probably gonna do more harm than good.

Like if my title is “this is the most amazing water filter” I’ve ever used it’s like they don’t annoy me just do a quick review and tell me which one is best and so a lot of posts are just informational, and we need the type of title that appeals to somebody who wants quick pure information other things people are searching for the kind of want to be sold on.

If you’re looking for a phone review very few people are going to read one review and be done and go buy it usually you’re gonna research this thing for an hour you’re gonna be stuck with this phone for two years right, and so you wanna kind of read into it and get more information, and you want to be sold on it, and so a title with some interest is going to be perfect for that kind of audience something to add some mystery or intrigue and then other titles are pure interest on.

What we mean by that is I don’t even care if I rank on a search for this term it’s just a YouTube video that will just go out as cool information in my industry and YouTube will say well this person has been searching about home remodeling this interest videos about home remodeling let’s shoot it out to the right or it’s for Pinterest or Instagram etc. It’s a post intended for social sharing, and that may not even need to tell the person the topic of the video so now we’re going to talk through each one of those buckets because it is critical that you understand and I do think that that’s really key to understand Google doesn’t have a way for you to just like hey Google browse through titles from blogs that I’m interested in on topics that I mean that’s not a feature of Google, but that is exactly how things like Pinterest and YouTube social networks that’s exactly how they work.

So kind of a neat trick you can use is like if you have a blog post that you want that kind of title for you can write a headline that’s a little more descriptive than can do well in search but then on that entry on that image that you put out on Pinterest that’s where the super intriguing just interest title goes so the first one is just that strict information when we write a response post in virtually every case this is the kind of title we go for and the most important principle for the strict information posts as well as real for some interest titles is that the title itself has to be appropriately descriptive it has to have enough information about what’s in the post but I know exactly what to expect.

When I click on that title okay so look at these titles these are great titles for response posts because they’re telling the user yes I have exactly what you’re looking for, but it’s also telling them how you’re helping them, so an example of this is a title, in fact, today if you google “why in 560 version 4 it’s a very popular flash for photography” if you search why in 560 version for manual my website improve photography that I used to own comes up, and the reason this article work to pop to number one is that I what I added to the subtitle a helpful Illustrated guide, and it ranks above the actual user manual right like when you’re googling “wine 564” manual this ranks above the young new Oh website just because of that title it’s a helpful user Illustrated guide that’s what somebody wants.

When they’re searching for it, and I think that’s a really valuable principle is not only being descriptive about what this article is about but then being descriptive about how you’re going to help them in some cases it might be a helpful Illustrated guide just like you just did there it could be hey with charts tables or with an infographic or whatever it is so another example from this list here you know this best X for X an example we could use is like “best water filters for cabins” right and so then you might say speed life convenience and performance right and so on these are some of the criteria that I use to rank which one I think is best and that way people just have an idea that not only am I just you know.

I’m not just going to Amazon reviews and saying hey everybody like this one best what I did is I actually did a comparison on these bits of criteria and so that again just add some more credibility to your post and makes it a little more interesting to click on even though it’s clearly just a highly information-based title and post you’re basically just listing out where your subtitles are what kind of information you have there okay next we’re going into the interest posts now when you have a title that has some kind of interest intrigue to it you still have to very carefully identify the search topic because you do want to rank for it but because of the competition that’s there because of the mindset of somebody who’s searching for some things they want something a little bit more sexy and so we’re gonna provide it to them we used one on you last week on or two weeks ago on YouTube we use the title the surprising results from our 2020 study on blog post length.

Now that’s a great title for some interest because it’s about blog post length somebody could search this right and you know what’s their best word count for a blog post how long should a blog post be and it would very much fit that search, but if we had just titled best word count for blog posts it’s pretty bland and so somebody who’s you know already a subscriber maybe like yeah maybe we’ll skip that one and just move on to the next we wanted it to have something, and we did have some surprising results from it, and so we wanted to present it that way there are so many cool titles you can use that have some interest in it but still match a search.

I want to highlight a couple others that I think are really interesting the best x4x I’ve ever tested, but you shouldn’t buy one, so this would be you know the best camera for sports photographers I’ve ever tested, but you shouldn’t buy one so that’s a perfect beautiful title right because if I’m searching you know “Best camera for sports photographers” it’s definitely going to show up, but you see it, and it’s like why shouldn’t I buy it if it’s the best you ever test it.

It’s adding some interest and intrigue to it that make you click on it it’s about just marketing what you already have we’re not using that title unless it’s actually applicable you know maybe you tested them and you say you know this is the best I’ve ever tested but it’s just way more expensive than everything else that’s ninety-five percent is good, and so you can use your title as a way to highlight what you’re trying to express in the video but notice that in some of these other examples we’ve implemented some of the principles we talked about with those just purely informational tactics so like twelve never-before-seen date ideas okay what I’m telling you is you’re gonna get 12 date ideas they’re not the obvious ones that show up on every date idea list go on a hot-air balloon ride, yeah, and then I say with photos, so I’m telling you how I’m going to help you like in this blog post.

I’m going to I’m going to give you these ideas and I’m going to give you these photos to help with inspiration and so you can use those same principles we talked about for those interest posts and their titles to help add a little bit more interest to some of these interest titles there’s kind of a spectrum of how much interest to add and in this case we want to add a higher level of interest and focus a little bit less on the really specific description of what they’re gonna get in exactly in this post or in this video now there are some times where you do not care how a piece of content actually ranks on google sometimes you’re only titling it to be interesting now in the world of blogging this basically doesn’t exist anymore mostly the pure interest content is gone in blogging unless you’re going to post it on reddit unless you’re going to post it on Pinterest unless you’re going to make it as a YouTube video but we actually create a lot of this kind of content and we find it’s often our best-performing when we’re using it in the right way on those channels so here are some titles that you could use.

So let’s say you have you know a true crime or something YouTube channel titling it you really shouldn’t have walked her dog with that night ah it’s beautiful right you’ve got a click on that you’ve got to wonder why what happened right and so somebody who isn’t even searching or who has done some true-crime video searching that Google says I they like this kind of stuff throwing that out there is just like a guaranteed click, so it’s perfect you see YouTube channels all the time off drives me crazy but how many channels have done my last YouTube video and then it’s like I’m burned out guys I really need a break I’m gonna take seven days off before my next video they’re not really quitting YouTube right, but they all want to make you think now it’s clicker bait it’s ugly I do not recommend it, but you know it’s working for a lot of people.

So we can learn something from it how one man’s invention changed farming forever even if I haven’t really been searching farming stuff it could hit entrepreneurship business history farming a lot of people could be interested in that kind of content even if I’m not really searching for what inventions changed farming you know what I mean so if you’re gonna create this kind of stuff you have to have an audience first even if that audience is a prepackaged one like I just participate on this Reddit group and I know they would eat this up I know I’m gonna get a few a thousand clicks right I know this recipe would kill on Pinterest if I title at
this and I don’t care about Google, so if you have access to that kind of channel and you’re ready to make that kind of content, it’s beautiful.

If you’re taking our YouTube course if you’re in our list go through the YouTube course and you’ll hear about the source inversion after that source inversion is when you create this kind of content and that’s killer
I’m here on I’m making puns off of your true-crime stuff but no but I think that’s really key is that like on a platform like YouTube this type of content is actually most of the content that does well it’s not about search so much anymore it’s about that interest and being found that way after you have that initial audience, but we should still give a little bit of a clue right.

This is about inventions and farming, okay that’s I know that it’s along those lines but now there’s a lot of mystery surrounding it like okay but what is the invention and how did it change farming forever it’s enough that I’m interested so find that balance you know to run some of your headline ideas off of other people look at what works really well on other YouTube channels what are some of the videos that are really really pop and look at their headlines for ideas you’re gonna find some things that work really well and the more you practice this, the better you’re gonna get it creating just awesome headlines that are gonna boost your traffic boost the clicks substantially thanks everybody for joining us in this video and we will see you after our next video which will be our last

Source: Income School

The Complete Guide to Blogging for a Living

Hello friends, If you are looking for how to start a blog in India or how to start a blog for free in India for a long time, then you have landed on the right article for all of you today. If you do not know a little about blogging, then by reading this post, you will get complete information about it.

The Complete Guide to Blogging for a Living

Indeed Work From Home Productivity Guide

Indeed Work From Home Productivity Guide:

About the Author

M Mustafa Rangoonwala is a Graphologist, NLPMp , Ganotherapist & Nutrition Consultant living in India who loves sharing knowledge and helping others on the topic of Holistic Life Style.

Mustafa is a passionate person who will go the extra mile and over-deliver.

Mustafa’s words of wisdom:

“I believe that knowledge is power. Everyone should improve themselves and/or business, no matter what stage in life they’re in. Whether it’s to develop a better mindset or to increase profits. Moving forward is key.”

If you would like to learn more from M Mustafa Rangoonwala, please visit: Holistic Meaning

 

Table of Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 

Chapter 1: The History and Current State of Our Digital Life………………………………… 

The History……………………………………………………………………………………. 

The Current State………………………………………………………………………….. 

Chapter 2: The Digital Impact on Your Body………………………………………………………….. 

Obesity…………………………………………………………………………………………. 

Vision……………………………………………………………………………………………. 

Posture…………………………………………………………………………………………. 

Sleep……………………………………………………………………………………………. 

Chapter 3: Learn to Sleep Again……………………………………………………………………………… 

Create a Schedule…………………………………………………………………………. 

Create a Ritual………………………………………………………………………………. 

Create a Comfortable Atmosphere…………………………………………………. 

Avoid Certain Foods or Substances……………………………………………….. 

Turn Off Your Devices……………………………………………………………………. 

Room Make-Over………………………………………………………………………….. 

Talk to an Expert……………………………………………………………………………. 

Chapter 4: The Digital Impact on Your Mind…………………………………………………………… 

Dopamine: The Feel-Good Hormone……………………………………………… 

Anxiety………………………………………………………………………………………….. 

FOMO: Fear of Missing Out……………………………………………………………. 

Phantom Vibration Syndrome…………………………………………………………. 

Depression……………………………………………………………………………………. 

Attention……………………………………………………………………………………….. 

Chapter 5: How You Can Improve Your Attention and Awareness………………………. 

Exercise……………………………………………………………………………………….. 

Meditate………………………………………………………………………………………… 

Read…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 

Write in a Journal…………………………………………………………………………… 

Make a List……………………………………………………………………………………. 

Chapter 6: How the Digital World Is Shaping Your Behavior………………………………… 

Chapter 7: Practice Emotional Awareness…………………………………………………………….. 

Chapter 8: Planned Solitude: Learning to Be Connected With Yourself……………… 

Go for a Ride………………………………………………………………………………… 

Go to a Local Café………………………………………………………………………… 

Go for a Walk………………………………………………………………………………… 

Go to a Retreat……………………………………………………………………………… 

Chapter 9: Developing a Healthy Relationship and Other Practical Ideas…………… 

Tech-Free Rooms…………………………………………………………………………. 

Unplug Time………………………………………………………………………………….. 

Let It Die……………………………………………………………………………………….. 

Take a Class…………………………………………………………………………………. 

Join a Club……………………………………………………………………………………. 

Boardgame Night…………………………………………………………………………… 

Ignore Notifications………………………………………………………………………… 

Chapter 10: A 21-Day Plan to Disconnect for Good………………………………………………. 

Preparation……………………………………………………………………………………. 

DAY 1: MONITORING SCREEN TIME…………………………………………… 

DAY 2: PLANNED OFFLINE………………………………………………………….. 

DAY 3: EMOTIONAL AWARENESS………………………………………………. 

DAY 4: PLANNED OFFLINE 2……………………………………………………….. 

DAY 5: CHARGE UP……………………………………………………………………… 

DAY 6: GET SOME FRESH AIR……………………………………………………. 

DAY 7: IT’S YOUR CHOICE!…………………………………………………………. 

Day 8: BEDTIME ROUTINE…………………………………………………………… 

DAY 10: MINDFULNESS EATING…………………………………………………. 

DAY 11: MINDFULNESS WALKING………………………………………………. 

DAY 12: MINDFULNESS BROWSING…………………………………………… 

DAY 13: MINDFULNESS BREATHING 2……………………………………….. 

DAY 14: MINDFULNESS BROWSING 2………………………………………… 

Day 15: REFLECTION…………………………………………………………………… 

DAY 16: UNPLUG…………………………………………………………………………. 

DAY 17: 24 HOUR CLEANSE………………………………………………………… 

DAY 18: NOTIFICATIONS OFF…………………………………………………….. 

DAY 19: 2 HOURS ONLY………………………………………………………………. 

DAY 20: LEAVE YOUR PHONE AT HOME…………………………………….. 

DAY 21: SUCCESS………………………………………………………………………. 

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 

Introduction

It is becoming very challenging to put the phone down. Not only are most people working in front of a screen all day, but most do it at home too. Several people go home after work and sit in front of the TV and browse their phone.

 

We live a digitalized life. Over 80% of the population owns a mobile device, and 57% of them have more than one type of device. Not only are our electronic devices connected to the internet, but it is also in our car, the fridge, our watch, our games, and even our home. This omnipresence of technology begs the question, how can we free ourselves from an addiction to the digital world?

 

Here’s a short survey that will give you an idea of your relationship with technology. While this is not a scientific survey, it gives you an idea of your relationship with the digital world.

 

	YES	NO	I DON’T KNOW
Do you sleep with your phone next to your bed?
Do you look at social media an hour or less before bed?
Is it hard for you to sit in silence (ex: on your commute or in a car)?
Do you eat most of your meals in front of a screen?
Do you use your phone as an alarm?
Do you check social media while you are at work?
Do you usually check your phone as soon as there is a notification?
Do you turn on the TV when you come home from work?
Do you have a smartwatch?
Would you say that your daily screen time is more than 5 hours a day?
Is looking at your phone an automatic behavior that you don’t always do consciously?
Do you have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep?
Do you struggle with weight?
Do you have difficulty with your attention or concentration?
Do you check your phone or browse social media when you drive?
Do you sometimes feel like your phone vibrate, and yet there are no notifications?
Do you feel anxious if you forget your phone or don’t have access to it for a while?
Does it irritate you when people tell you that you are not listening or paying attention to them while they speak to you?
Would you consider your electronic devices as your most valuable belongings, something you could not live without?
TOTALS
	YES	NO	I DON’T KNOW

 

Now calculate the totals, what do you notice?

 

Mostly NO: Great, that means that you have found a spot in your life where you use devices and, they don’t use you and admittedly don’t govern your life.

 

Mostly YES: This is a sign that this guide is for you. Your life seems to be influenced a lot by your screen time; you might be losing a lot of time and energy on devices that don’t fulfill you. Besides, if you said “yes” to almost all the questions, you are likely an artist at escaping reality. It might be time for you to take control of your life. It won’t be easy to unplug, but with determination and patience, you will get there!

 

Mostly I DON’T KNOW: This is not necessarily a good thing. You might be in denial and unable to be aware of your behavior. This guide will help you be more conscious of your habits and how you can live a more fulfilling life.

 

Whether you want to completely break up with social media or develop a healthier relationship with technology, this guide is here to help you positively change your behaviors. This guide will help you reconnect with your life. After reading this book, you will be able to recognize the actions that affect your physical and mental health and learn how you can adopt more effective habits to be happier.

 

You will learn about the current state of the digital world, what the impact is on your physical and mental health. We will explore how you can adopt more positive behaviors with technology while finding a way to reconnect with yourself. The last part of this guide is a 21-day plan that will help you break up with technology for good. But first, let’s look at what history is and the current state of our digital life.

Chapter 1: The History and Current State of Our Digital Life

Technology has been changing our lives for years, but it hasn’t always been for the best. There is a fantastic advancement in the area of health care where people can walk again or communicate with the assistance of technology. On the other hand, technology can also limit us, especially when we become addicted to it.

 

The History

While the phone was patented in the 1870s, it moved from being a landline to mobile later in history. It is hard to believe that the handheld mobile phone was mass-produced less than 50 years ago, in 1973. So much has changed since. Texting came about 20 years later (1992), and the iPhone was launched in 2007. With its mass presence, it is so easy to forget how life was before the smartphone.

 

Another technology that is relatively young in history is the internet. The internet became public on August 6, 1991, less than 30 years ago. It has been with us ever since, improving its speed every year and no longer just accessible on computers.

 

The Current State

It doesn’t matter where you live in the world; screen time is becoming a global issue. Over 45% of the world population has a smartphone (which is around 3.5 billion people); this is more than a 30% increase since 2016.

 

The screen time worldwide is, on average, 6h42min, with no significant difference between gender. In research done in the UK, 99% of children between the ages of 12–15 are online and have an average screen time of 21 hours per week.

 

While the World Health Organization (WHO) provided some guidelines for screen time and children, there are no guidelines that exist for adults. It is up to us to decide what we believe is an appropriate time we can spend online. It is probably only a matter of time before the government starts publishing recommendations for health concerning screen time.

 

The next chapters will provide you with more knowledge about the health impact. These chapters will focus on physical and mental health and how it can be affected by our screen time.

Chapter 2: The Digital Impact on Your Body

A group of studies is starting to demonstrate the impact of technology on our bodies. It is safe to say that we are very limited in the knowledge and research about the long-term effects of technology. As people age with social media and wireless technology, we will likely have more discoveries that change our relationship with the digital world. For now, here are a few known issues.

 

Obesity

Unsurprisingly, obesity, and screen time are connected. A large study of over 90,000 participants concluded that independent of physical activity, it was observed that obesity and screen time are positively correlated. A longitudinal study showed that 60% of overweight incidence in their study was attributable to excess television viewing.

 

Vision

Another impact on our physical health is our vision. A growing body of research indicates that around 50% of the population will experience Digital Eye Strain (DES). DES is a syndrome that causes a person to have various symptoms like sore, dried, tired, burning or itching eyes, headaches, sore neck, or even a difficulty keeping your eyes open. It can undoubtedly be treated, but no studies demonstrate the long-term impact on our vision.

 

Posture

Screen time can also impact your posture. A study by Harvard, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Microsoft show that spending too much time on small devices like a phone can strain muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, and spinal discs.

 

Sleep

Finally, one of the most prevalent physical health impacts of too much screen time is the lack of quality sleep. Research has now demonstrated that the screen light (called blue light) of our device can stimulate the cells in our eyes and reset our internal clock, which is the circadian rhythm. Not only does this affect our sleep, but it could also cause some health issues since circadian rhythm issues are connected to cancer, metabolism issues, and cognitive dysfunctions.

 

Since sleep is a big challenge for many people, the next chapter will provide you with tips on how you can improve your bedtime routine and get more sleep every night.

Chapter 3: Learn to Sleep Again

As a result of increased screen time, the body tends to delay the production of melatonin, a vital hormone that regulates our sleep. Over time, that sleep deprivation can lead to something more severe, like mood disorders, obesity, or depression.

 

To improve your nights of sleep, here are recommendations that you can implement in your bedtime routine to increase your chance of good night sleep.

 

Create a Schedule

It is proven that a routine will trick your body into falling asleep at a specific time. Try to observe yourself, is there a time when you are tired? If so, make sure you go to bed before that time. Create a routine that allows you to complete everything before that time and go to bed. You can also set an alarm that will tell you that it’s time to prepare yourself for bedtime. That way, you are less likely going to forget what time it is and be more successful at implementing a routine.

 

Create a Ritual

A bedtime ritual is an excellent addition to your schedule. A good bedtime ritual is one that allows you to relax, disconnect from the stress of life, and slowly tell your body that it is time to shut down. Here are a few things you can add to your ritual:

• Take a bath
• Go to bed 1 hour before bedtime and read a book (but not a too engaging book)
• Drink an herbal tea
• Listen to calming music
• Write in a journal
• Do a meditation

 

During that hour before bed, it is essential to avoid bright light; that way, you don’t reset your circadian rhythm.

 

Create a Comfortable Atmosphere

Don’t’ underestimate the comfort of your bed and pillow and the power of fresh linen. If you are uncomfortable, you will likely have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep. Another aspect of comfort is the temperature of the room and the level of noise around. Try sleeping with a fan on or a white noise machine. Having a constant sound in the room could help you maintain your sleep. If you like essential oils, try a drop of lavender on your pillow, this will help the brain relax.

 

Avoid Certain Foods or Substances

Avoid any alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine, or a large meal from 2–3 hours before you go to bed.

 

Turn Off Your Devices

This will probably be the most challenging thing to do but the most impactful, which is to turn off any electronics 1 hour before bedtime. Spend the last hour doing something calming and relaxing. Try to have your device outside the bedroom during the night; this will allow you not to be disturbed during your sleep. Experts say that the bed should be used for sleep and sex. If you work, browse social media or watch TV from your bed, your brain will associate the bed with a zone of activity and will likely be active even when it is bedtime. Train your mind to see your bed as a place to disconnect from the digital world.

 

Room Make-Over

It might be time to look at your bedroom and try to find ways to improve the atmosphere for a good night’s sleep. Are there electronics that make it bright at night, like the light on a laptop charger or your alarm clock? Make sure that you can remove the light and make the space dark for sleep. Also, consider moving the TV in your bedroom. The TV will stimulate you instead of encouraging sleep.

 

Talk to an Expert

If you’ve tried all those recommendations and you are still struggling with sleep, it might be a good idea to consult your doctor or a sleep expert. There are other solutions that they can provide you with to improve your sleep situation.

Chapter 4: The Digital Impact on Your Mind

Now that we’ve covered the impact of our electronic devices on the physical body let’s look at its effects on the mental body. The technology has made such a significant impact on our psyche that we now have new terms that describe psychological issues such as FOMO.

 

FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out, is described as “anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website.” Not only will we experience real symptoms caused by social media, but the mind will also create false reactions like “phantom vibration syndrome.” Which is when you feel your phone vibrating, but it didn’t.

 

Studies show that the new generations are now dreaming in color and therefore demonstrate how much technology can impact the mind. Dreaming in color is a unique occurrence connected to generations of individuals who grew up with colored TV screens.

 

Let’s dig a bit deeper into how the digital world impacts our minds.

 

Dopamine: The Feel-Good Hormone

The most astonishing finding of the impact of technology on our behavior and mind is how it stimulates the dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is responsible for pleasure, desire, ambition, addiction, and sex drive. Research now shows that social media users experience a similar dopamine cycle as individuals who are addicted to alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs.

 

Anxiety

In a study by Cheever and colleagues (2014), two groups were studies. One group was allowed to have their phone but had to shut it down during the research. The other group had to give up their phone for the duration of the study. The results show that anxiety levels rose over time, not only in the group that didn’t have access to their phone but also amongst heavy smartphone users that were in the other group. The anxiety that arises from smartphone utilization can be associated with our Fear of Missing out (FOMO).

 

FOMO: Fear of Missing Out

FOMO is a feeling of anxiety that experienced we think we are missing out on something. It is a collective term that we see in connection with social media use or online shopping. Based on surveys, 56% of social media users experience FOMO, and 69% of the millennials will experience it daily. Many kinds of research now demonstrate that FOMO is connected to the overuse of smartphones and smartphone addiction, which impacts around 50% of young adults.

 

Phantom Vibration Syndrome

As mentioned before, phantom vibration syndrome it the perceived vibrations from a device that is not vibrating. In research done with over 250 undergraduates, 89% had experienced phantom vibration.

 

Depression

Several studies now demonstrate that individuals who spend more time on social media have higher rates of depression than those who spend less time. There’s also a link with suicide risk factors where teens who spend 5 hours or more on their phone are 71% more likely to exhibit those factors. Besides, the suicide rate increase in teenagers seems to correlate with the phone usage increase between the years 2007–2015.

 

Attention

One of the most prominent displayed impacts of our digital world is the lack of focus and awareness. The attention span in our digital world has gone from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds today 2015 (this is less than a goldfish’s attention, which is about 9 seconds). This lack of awareness has a significant impact on our daily life. For example, the average user will lose over 3 hours a week just by picking up their phone. Our lack of attention makes us more forgetful, less engage with others, and also exhausted. According to some studies, this constant distraction can lead us to be 40% less productive during our day.

 

Since the lack of attention seems to be prevalent in most of us, the next chapter will provide you with ideas to improve your awareness and concentration during your day.

Chapter 5: How You Can Improve Your Attention and Awareness

To improve your attention, you need to increase your ability to bring yourself in the present moment. Practicing awareness can be done in a way that it is part of your daily routine. You will need to be disciplined, which means that you have to carve time in your day when you can practice. Here are a few things you can do:

 

Exercise

Exercises like yoga or running can be a great way to practice being in the present moment. Research shows that when you exercise, you are more likely to increase the control of your mind. Exercising is also connected with increased attention in school and academic scores.

 

Meditate

Meditation is practicing awareness. Many people believe that they have to stop thinking when they meditate. Yet, meditation is not about stopping yourself from doing something; it is more about observing what is happening within you and around you. A simple way to meditate is to sit down and focus on a sound in the room. That sound can be a fan or a refrigerator. When you catch yourself drifting from that focus, bring your awareness back to the sound. You can do that for 15 minutes at a time daily. The goal is to observe yourself drifting and go back to the task.

 

Read

Reading is a great way to increase your ability to focus and pay attention to one task at a time. If you are reading on your mobile device, make sure to turn off all notifications so that you are not distracted during your reading. A great time to read is before bed, as it allows you to disconnect from the digital world and also calm your mind before going to sleep. It is preferable to use a book, which doesn’t stimulate the brain as a screen would. Your local library likely has excellent books for you!

 

Write in a Journal

Journaling is another activity that can be done before bed and is a great way to focus your thoughts on one thing. Nowadays, there are useful journals that encourage thinking, or you can go simple and get a notebook and write your day in it or make it a grateful journal.

 

Make a List

How many times have you found yourself distracted from work because you had a sudden question in your head that lead you to browse Google for 15 minutes? It is so easy to be distracted when you give energy to every thought you have. Instead of acting on every idea, make a list. Keep a pen and paper close and when you have a thought like, what is a good recipe for chicken or what is the weather tomorrow, write it down. The list will be an excellent way to put your thoughts down without distracting you for too long. When you need a pause from work, look at your list.

Chapter 6: How the Digital World Is Shaping Your Behavior

As you have seen from the impact of the digital world on our mind and physical body, we are gravely influenced by our screen time. This influence can also shape our behavior.

 

We often hear that technology is something that can change our behaviors for the best; for example, the use of smartwatch to increase exercises or games like Pokémon Go to get children outside. But is this positive behavior change a reality?

 

It is a known fact that marketing firms and media study psychology to shape the behaviors of their users. You have probably noticed that the use of shocking titles or the sound notification of social media is very good at grabbing your attention. These tactics are shaping human interactions and behaviors. Nowadays, people are more likely to interrupt a conversation with another individual if their smartwatch or phone vibrates. This behavior can be extremely irritating for the person on the other side of the conversation.

 

We are consistently entertained and receive instant gratification by our electronics. It’s almost like solitude or silence has become taboo or worse, feared. Just ask yourself when the last time you sat in silence? Are you able to drive from point A. to point B. without music? Besides, we don’t tolerate waiting anymore. People are getting more short-tempered on the roads and in line at the café.

 

Another behavior is our constant need for attention from others with selfies and likes. This attention-seeking culture is making us create this “cyber self” that is often our perceived perfect self and world. It is a world where we can use filters to hide some inconsistencies on our skin or make our face narrower to be more pleasing. Selfies have a particular objective, which is to determine if others like it or not. This world of selfies has led to another type of behavior, which is to dress for Instagram. Some people’s world becomes driven by their digital self.

 

Being distracted by our devices all the time is making us uncomfortable with being alone with ourselves. It can also make us less capable of dealing with our thoughts and emotions. When we lose track of our true selves and become obsessed with what the external world thinks of us, we become easily manipulated and influenced by others. We lose the ability to think for ourselves and be independent.

 

Since our behavior is connected to our emotions, our screen time is likely going to influence how we feel. In the next chapter, we will learn about emotional awareness and how you can better control your emotions in the digital world.

Chapter 7: Practice Emotional Awareness

When we are consistently entertained by something external to us, it is easy to let our feelings and emotions be in sync with what we are watching on the screen. Whether you are looking at selfies or watching a horrible video, your emotional state will be influenced and likely create some emotional turmoil that is avoidable.

 

Some research has concluded that social media lead, in general, toward negative emotions. For example, a study demonstrated that Facebook users had an elevated feeling of envy. While limiting the usage of social media is the best recommendation; being aware of how social media is affecting you is very important if you want to improve your emotional state.

 

Here are a few suggestions on how you can do this:

 

Next time you are on social media, observe your emotional state. Every time you experience a negative emotional state, make a mental note of it.

When you observe yourself feeling negative emotions, shift your mind to something more positive or put your phone down for a minute.

If you find yourself triggered by a post, unfollow that person. Clean your Social Media and only follow individuals who make you feel good about yourself.

 

The key is to be an emotion aware user and know when to quit. The more you will practice observation of yourself when you are online, the better you will become at avoiding situations that put you in a reactive state as opposed to a reflective mode. When you catch yourself going down that reactive mode, shift your attention to something more empowering.

Chapter 8: Planned Solitude: Learning to Be Connected With Yourself

A great way to disconnect with the digital world is to set a time when you will make the “unplugging” official. You can do so by planning a time of solitude.

 

In the world of psychology, solitude is known to improve psychological well-being; it helps you get to know yourself and also allows you not to feel lonely when unplanned solitude happens.

 

It can be seen as a reset button where you can go back to what drives you and also be inspired to be your best self. Planned solitude doesn’t have to be for a long time or boring. Here are a few things you can do to get more familiar with being alone and comfortable in silence.

 

Go for a Ride

Ride a car, a bike, or even a motorcycle! During that hour, do not bring any electronic devices, and if you are in a car, turn off the radio. During that time, you will enjoy your own company and the sounds around you.

 

Go to a Local Café

A local café is an excellent location if you want to be alone but not entirely isolated. Leave your phone at home or in the car. Grab a cup of your favorite java and sit down alone. Observe what is around you, practice mindfulness, which is to listen, observe, and live in the present moment.

 

Go for a Walk

Search for a trail in your area and go for a hike! Leave your music and devices in the car or at home. Take this opportunity to connect with nature, get some fresh air, and empty your mind.

 

Go to a Retreat

Why not plan a weekend retreat or a night away from home? Try to find a place where you can be close to nature and reconnect with yourself. It doesn’t have to be an expensive getaway; it can be a home vacation rental a few miles away from you. Try not to bring your electronic devices and completely disconnect for 24 hours.

 

Planned solitude is only one way to unplug from the digital world. In the next chapter, you will learn other options that are available to you when it comes to reconnecting with your reality.

Chapter 9: Developing a Healthy Relationship and Other Practical Ideas

There are many ways to unplug with the digital world. You’ve already seen a few in the chapters above. To be successful, you have to identify as many activities that do not require a screen. Make sure to pick something that appeals to you and won’t be challenging to do. Here are a few options you might want to try.

 

Tech-Free Rooms

Choose a room or rooms in your home where electronics are not welcomed. It could be a spare room that you transform into a meditation room or remove all electronics from your bedroom. That zone will be an excellent place to go when you want to unplug.

 

Unplug Time

Have a time range when you choose to unplug. That could be in the morning before going to work, during meals or an hour before bed. Dedicate that time to activities that don’t require you to be in front of a screen. Also, you can choose a whole day instead of a time range. A bit like Meatless Monday, you could have a Tech-Free Tuesday.

 

Let It Die

Another way to avoid always being on your electronic device is to let it die. When your phone or smartwatch dies, take it as a sign that you need to take some offline time. Avoid looking at your device while it charges by turning it off. Place it on the charge and do an activity that is not in front of a screen.

 

Take a Class

Why not enroll in a local course? That way, you will spend your time learning something new with other people instead of wasting your time on social media. Local colleges usually offer evening or weekend classes to the general public. There is a wide variety of options available to you, such as learning a new art, a foreign language, new recipes, or even an exercise class like kickboxing or dance.

 

Join a Club

Are you interested in bowling or reading? Or maybe you are more a food or wine tasting type of person? Whatever your interest is, you can indeed find a group of people in your area that have similar interests as you. By joining a club, you will have less need to be on social media and have more success in your social life.

 

Boardgame Night

Start your own “unplug” evening by inviting friends over for a game night. Board games are always an excellent option when you want to have fun with friends.

 

Ignore Notifications

Train yourself to ignore your phone notifications. Just like Pavlov’s research with a dog’s response to a stimulus, you are currently trained to respond immediately to a notification alarm on your phone. It’s time for you to retrain yourself. From now on, you can use the notification of your smart device as a reminder to breathe. Every time a notification sound arises, take a deep breath through the nose and exhale through the mouth. You can also use this opportunity to compliment yourself or make it a moment of gratitude. The more often you will practice this new behavior, the quicker it will become a habit.

 

The more you are distracted from grabbing your phone or sitting in front of the TV, the easier it will be for you to disconnect.

Chapter 10: A 21-Day Plan to Disconnect for Good.

The following plan is to help you develop a healthier relationship with the digital world. You will be slowly guided to reduce your screen time over 21 days. If you work in front of a screen, try to apply the following guidelines in your personal life.

 

Before you start this plan, ask yourself how ready you are to make that change. Your motivation to change will be the number one reason if you fail or not. Answer the following questions to assess your change readiness.

 

On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being not motivated, 10 being highly motivated), how motivated are you to disconnect from the digital world?

 

1       2       3       4       5       6       7       8       9       10

 

If your answer was below 10, what would help you move one score higher? In other words, what would make you more motivated to change?

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

What do you perceive as a benefit to disconnect?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Who are the people that can help you with your goal? And how can you involve them?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Preparation

To set yourself up for success, identify a time when you want to start. Make sure that you have conducive conditions for 21 days.

 

My start date will be: _________________________________

 

Now that you have a start date hold yourself accountable and make sure to mark it on your calendar. If you live with other people, try to get them to participate with you, the more, the merrier (or, the easier).

 

Organize your space so that it is easier for you to avoid screen time. If you have a TV in your bedroom, it could be a great idea to move it to another room, the less temptation, the better.

 

Now let try to prepare you for the obstacles by predicting your behaviors.

 

Which times of the day are you mostly in front of a screen?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

 

What are the things you would like to do to replace screen time?

Examples: Reading, bowling, exercising, cooking, walking, etc.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

What could be the biggest obstacles to your success?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

What are your options to prevent those obstacles from arising?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Think of a day when you are disconnected from the digital world. What would it look like?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Now get ready, it’s time to officially disconnected from the digital world.

 

DAY 1: MONITORING SCREEN TIME

Today, you will monitor your screen time. You can download an app that will calculate that for your phone and make sure to take note of screen time on other devices like TV or computers.

 

Your goal will be to see a reduction in screen time for the 21 days. Every morning, you will indicate your screen time of the previous day and aim to reduce it.

 

Day 1—Screen-time:_____________

 

DAY 2: PLANNED OFFLINE

Today, I need to aim for ________ minutes of screen time.

 

Today, you will plan offline time. Identify a time when you will turn off all your devices for 30 minutes. Once you’ve identified a time, decide what you will do during that time. Feel free to pick something that you wrote in the preparation section.

 

At _______ am/pm, I will turn off my devices. I will keep myself occupied by doing ______________________________________________________.

 

Once you’ve completed your offline time, answer the following questions.

 

How did you feel during the planned offline?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being extremely difficult, 10 being extremely easy), how easy was it to spend 30 minutes without looking at a screen?

 

1       2       3       4       5       6       7       8       9       10

 

If your answer was below 10, what can you do next time to improve that

score? Could you repeat the activity for a more extended period? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Today’s screen-time result: _______ minutes

 

DAY 3: EMOTIONAL AWARENESS

Today, I need to aim for ________ minutes of screen time.

 

Today, you will practice emotional awareness. Pay attention to your emotions while looking at a screen. Every time you catch yourself feeling down, take a timeout of one minute. During that minute, focus on your breathing. Take six deep breaths every time you have a negative emotion.

 

What else than breathing could you do to occupy that 1 minute?

Examples: Go for a quick walk around the house; Do a house chore; Get yourself a glass of water.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

How many timeouts did you take today? _________________

 

What does it tell you about your emotions? What type of emotions did you notice (ex: sad, envy, anger, frustration, annoyance, etc.).

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

How can you reduce the avoidable negative emotions you have in a day?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Today’s screen-time result: _______ minutes

 

DAY 4: PLANNED OFFLINE 2

Today, I need to aim for ________ minutes of screen time.

 

Today, you will plan two offline periods in your day. Allocate two 30 minutes today when you will turn off all your devices. Once you’ve identified a time, decide what you will do during these times.

 

At _______ am/pm, and _______ am/pm, I will turn off my devices. I will keep myself occupied by doing ___________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Once you’ve completed your offline time, answer the following questions.

 

How did you feel during the planned offline times?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being extremely difficult, 10 being extremely easy), how easy was it to spend two 30 minutes without looking at a screen?

 

1       2       3       4       5       6       7       8       9       10

 

If your answer was below 10, what can you do next time to improve that score?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Today’s screen-time result: _______ minutes

 

DAY 5: CHARGE UP

Today, I need to aim for ________ minutes of screen time.

 

Today, you will charge your smart devices outside of your bedroom during sleep time. If you use your phone as an alarm, you will need to find an alarm clock (not a smartwatch). You can also place your phone so that you can’t access it during the night (example: on the other side of the room).

 

When you wake up tomorrow morning, do not look at your phone for 15–30 minutes after getting up. Switch your routine to make coffee, get ready for the day, or maybe take your shower first. Whatever you choose to do, be mindful of not looking at a screen for 15–30 minutes after getting out of bed.

 

Today’s screen-time result: _______ minutes

 

DAY 6: GET SOME FRESH AIR

Today, I need to aim for ________ minutes of screen time.

 

Today, you will leave your phone and smartwatch behind for 1 hour and get some fresh air. Chose to play mini-golf, cycle, or walk. Pick something that will occupy your mind for an hour. The more the activity is enjoyable for you, the less likely are you going to realize that you don’t have your phone.

 

On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being extremely difficult, 10 being extremely easy), how easy was it to spend 1 hour without your phone or smartwatch?

 

1       2       3       4       5       6       7       8       9       10

 

If your answer was below 10, what can you do next time to improve that score?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Today’s screen-time result: _______ minutes

 

DAY 7: IT’S YOUR CHOICE!

Today, I need to aim for ________ minutes of screen time.

 

Today is the last day of the first week. How do you want to reconnect with your life today? Plan something that will allow you to turn off devices and experience reality.

____________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

How do you feel after your first week?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

What was easy? What are you proud of?

____________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

What was tricky? What could be done differently?

____________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Today’s screen-time result: _______ minutes

 

Day 8: BEDTIME ROUTINE

Today, I need to aim for ________ minutes of screen time.

 

You are now starting your second week. Congratulations!

 

Today, you will set a bedtime routine that doesn’t include screen time. Thirty minutes to an hour before bed, you will turn off all devices and start a new bedtime routine. During that time, you can:

• Prepare your lunch for work tomorrow
• Read (not on electronics)
• Take a bath
• Write in a journal
• Make tea and drink it in silence
• Meditate
• Do stretches

Any other activity that doesn’t require you to be in front of a screen and can help you relax.

 

Do your best to maintain that bedtime routine of no screen time 30 minutes to an hour before bed for the rest of the 21 days.

 

Today’s screen-time result: _______ minutes

 

DAY 9: MINDFULNESS BREATHING

Today, I need to aim for ________ minutes of screen time.

 

In the next few days, you are going to explore the world of mindfulness.

 

For today, try mindfulness breathing by taking three deep breaths.

• Breathing in through the nose
• Breathing out through the mouth
• Repeat two more times

 

Redo this mindfulness breathing a few times during your day to make it a total of 5 mindfulness breathing activities.

 

Today’s screen-time result: _______ minutes

 

DAY 10: MINDFULNESS EATING

Today, I need to aim for ________ minutes of screen time.

 

Today, you will eat without your device and will bring your awareness to your eating. Every bite you take, place the utensils down on the table, and appreciate the taste of the food. It won’t be easy at first, especially if you are hungry, but with practice, it becomes a habit.

 

How did you experience this activity?

____________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Today’s screen-time result: _______ minutes

 

DAY 11: MINDFULNESS WALKING

Today, I need to aim for ________ minutes of screen time.

 

Today, you will pay attention to every step you take, slow down your pace, and feel your feet touching the ground. Observe how it feels to walk and also really focus on placing your heel, foot, and toes down on the ground for every step.

 

How does it feel to slow down the pace of your walk?

____________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Today’s screen-time result: _______ minutes

 

DAY 12: MINDFULNESS BROWSING

Today, I need to aim for ________ minutes of screen time.

 

When you are browsing the internet today, pay attention to your feelings, and also try to be mindful of the speed of browsing. Try to read everything you see and complete the reading before moving on to something else. Observe yourself, how you react to certain things, and also try to stay focused on the task and not distracted by notifications.

 

How do you feel when you slow down your browsing speed?

____________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

 

Today’s screen-time result: _______ minutes

 

DAY 13: MINDFULNESS BREATHING 2

Today, I need to aim for ________ minutes of screen time.

 

Today you will practice the mindfulness breathing (taught earlier) every time you catch yourself looking at your electronic device.

 

• When you look at your phone or smartwatch, take three deep breaths before unlocking your device.
• Breathing in through the nose
• Breathing out through the mouth
• Repeat two more times
• Once you are done your breathing exercise, ask yourself if you really need to look at your phone or if you can go back to the task you were doing. Redo this mindfulness breathing every time you look at your device.

 

Did mindfulness breathing make a difference in your attention today?

____________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Today’s screen-time result: _______ minutes

 

DAY 14: MINDFULNESS BROWSING 2

Today, I need to aim for ________ minutes of screen time.

 

Today, you will go on your social media account. For 20 minutes, you will look at every post on your feed and observe your feelings. Unfollow every user that posts something that doesn’t bring you a positive experience.

 

This task will be an excellent clean-up and will improve your experience when you are on social media.

 

How many people did you unfollow?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

 

Today’s screen-time result: _______ minutes

 

Day 15: REFLECTION

Today, I need to aim for ________ minutes of screen time.

 

You are starting the third week. Congratulations!

 

How do you feel so far?

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How would you like to start day 15? This is your last week, identify something that you want to do all week to help you unplug.

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Today’s screen-time result: _______ minutes

 

DAY 16: UNPLUG

Today, I need to aim for ________ minutes of screen time.

 

Today is the big day; you will turn off your devices for half the day (unless your work is in front of the screen, if that is the case, no personal browsing). Yes, you read that right. Turn off your devices now.

 

If you are starting to formulate an excuse in your mind for not turning off your devices, stop yourself right now. THERE ARE NO EXCUSES. If people need to reach you, give them your work phone number or office email. But there is absolutely no reason you can’t turn off your phone for half a day (let’s say 6 hours).

 

If you are still making up excuses in your mind, at least try it for one hour. After an hour, turn on your phone to see if you have any emergencies, and turn it off for another hour. There is no need to be on your phone for longer than 5 minutes. That should be plenty of time to check if somebody tried to reach you for an emergency. If you can’t even do that, maybe ask a friend to help you with the activity. Your friend might also be open to hold your phone for you and let you know if something urgent comes up.

 

Today’s screen-time result: _______ minutes

 

DAY 17: 24 HOUR CLEANSE

Today, I need to aim for ________ minutes of screen time.

 

Today is another big day because you are going to remove social media from your phone. I know this is a bit scary, but don’t worry, you can reinstall them tomorrow. You’ve been working so hard in the past week that I know you will be able to accomplish this significant milestone.

 

Now take your phone and uninstall all social media, including messaging apps. You can keep regular text and phone but turn off your notifications. The goal here is to have a social media cleanse, for 24 hours.

 

To be successful every time that you are mindlessly reaching for your phone to check social media, take a deep breath. Breathing in through the nose and breathing out through the mouth. Repeat until you feel calm and ready to get back to reality.

 

Today’s screen-time result: _______ minutes

 

DAY 18: NOTIFICATIONS OFF

Today, I need to aim for ________ minutes of screen time.

 

YOU DID IT

You did a full 24 hours of social media cleanse!

BRAVO!

 

Now, that was probably the most significant test. If you failed, you could try again today (it’s never too late).

If you succeeded, you deserve to reinstall your social media apps, but today, you will turn off all notifications, including your text notification. If you have dependents that might have to reach you in case of an emergency, tell them to call you if they need it.

Train yourself to check your phone every 3 hours. This exercise will be useful to regain control of your life and not always feel the need to look at your phone (statistics show that we pick up our phone 1500 times a week!). Catch yourself reaching for your device by mentally saying NO! Then redirect your attention toward the task you were doing.

 

Today’s screen-time result: _______ minutes

 

DAY 19: 2 HOURS ONLY

Today, I need to aim for ________ minutes of screen time.

 

You are almost done your 21 days. Today’s goal is to spend less than 2 hours of screen time, and if you can, no screen time at all. If you work in front of a screen, do the best to reduce screen time as much as possible. Screen time includes a TV or a computer screen.

 

How are you going to occupy your off-screen time today?

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Today’s screen-time result: _______ minutes

 

DAY 20: LEAVE YOUR PHONE AT HOME

Today, I need to aim for ________ minutes of screen time.

 

Can you spend a day without your phone? Let’s try to leave your smart technology at home. Like mentioned before, if someone has to reach out in case of an emergency, provide them with a work phone. You can also find a smart way, like giving them a friend’s phone number or letting them know where you will be. There is always a way for people to reach you in case of emergency, having your phone on you 24/7 for emergencies is not a good excuse.

 

How did it feel to be technology free today?

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Would you do it again? If no, why? If yes, when?

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Today’s screen-time result: _______ minutes

 

DAY 21: SUCCESS

Today, I need to aim for ________ minutes of screen time.

 

YOU DID IT!

YOU’VE COMPLETED THE 21 DAYS TO UNPLUG. CONGRATULATIONS!

 

What have you learned so far?

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How can you implement what you’ve learned in your daily life? How can you maintain all the great progress you’ve accomplished so far?

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What offline way can you celebrate this success?

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Screen time when I started _______ minutes vs Screen time today __________ minutes.

Conclusion

Our digital world is an easy escape of reality, but it comes at a cost. As you have seen in previous chapters, the impact on our brain, physical body, and behaviors can be significant in one’s life and ruin relationships with people we love.

 

Increasing our awareness of how we use technology is key to succeeding in adopting healthier behaviors and maintaining a balanced life. Not only are we more likely to change our habits, but we are also more likely to change our life by being in control of our screen time.

 

Our relationship with technology doesn’t have to be non-existent, but we have to find a balance. Being in control means that use technology for your benefit, not the opposite. Don’t let all your energy and time go to waste on browsing social media and entering a rabbit hole after looking at the weather on your phone.

 

As you experienced during the 21-day challenge, mindfulness and transferring your activities to be more offline than in front of the screen can improve your well-being. Being offline also increases your sense of living in the present moment. Experiencing your reality can be more rewarding than the digital world.

 

It is recommended to continue to monitor your screen time; awareness will be essential to maintain a healthy relationship with technology. Not only will you be able to regain a life that is fulfilling, and you will also set an excellent example for others to follow.

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