Self-Care Strategies to Combat Digital Overwhelm

Whenever I’m watching a movie set before the 2000’s, I often find myself envious of the characters living in those eras. No one in those films returns home from a stressful job in front of a computer to doom scroll through social media apps. No one in those films is plagued with endless notifications pinging on their watch, laptop, and cellphone. No one in those films binge watches 6 hours of a TV show on the weekend. 

Unfortunately, this endless digital reality constitutes daily life for most people in a tech-driven world, and people are reporting feeling more stressed than ever. But when it’s time to truly unwind, it may be time to take inspiration from some movie classics to unplug and enjoy tech-free moments. 

Today we’re looking into self-care strategies that battle digital overwhelm. Whether you’d like to take a note from Frodo Baggins and go on a woodland stroll, or channel your inner Jo March and journal your great ideas, we’ve got some tips for creating moments of presence and peace so you can fully reset.

Recognize the Sources of Digital Overwhelm

Do you feel constantly stressed out by the little things, running behind on tasks, and compulsively checking your messages every several minutes? You may be suffering from digital overwhelm. 

Our modern day world forces us to be constantly managing a plethora of emails, notifications, and messages, which blurs the lines between work-life boundaries. Unfortunately, the cost of being chronically online for work and leisure often results in lowered productivity, drained energy, and increased anxiety. 

Getting home for a bit of self-care is ideal for many of us, but if your self-care looks like watching Netflix or scrolling through TikTok, your brain doesn’t actually recognize your digital leisure time as rest. The stimulation continues to trigger momentary rushes of dopamine in the brain, while the amygdala, the brain’s emotional center, experiences high levels of activity as we read dreadful news, desire an influencer’s lifestyle or product, ponder how to create that meal, or get swept up in the plot of a horror movie. 

What we actually need to do is tackle the stressors at their source and dedicate time to unplugging entirely for a more replenishing self-care moment. We aren’t talking about luxurious self-care reserved for those who can afford hours at the spa. We’re outlining sensible, accessible solutions that everyone deserves and requires in order to balance everything life throws at us. 

Creating Sanctuary Spaces at Home

One of the best things you can do for your self-care practice is create a designated sanctuary space. Setting aside an entire room or a corner of your house to relax can construct a mental boundary between work and rest. Now you’re ready to enter the zone.

Design your space with a few items that feel comforting: a thriving plant, your favorite books, a colorful wall print, or other personal items that spark joy and encourage calm. Keep items related to your self-care practice within reach. If you like to workout, keep your resistance bands or weights in a basket. If you’ve got an eye for art, keep your paint supplies in a drawer. If you tend to write, keep your journal ready to go on a side table.

The most important aspect of your sanctuary space is to make it a device-free zone! Your time from digital devices is sacred, and it’s important to bring that sense of importance to this haven. When you feel overwhelmed in general, you can always come to this space to take part in some self-care activities. 

The result of a device-free zone? Studies show that familial relationships will improve whether you’re a parent or child. Other studies tout that productivity levels will improve, meaning you’re learning how to better manage multiple roles and responsibilites. 

Traditional Self-Care Options for Immediate Relief

When in doubt, turn to your body for a moment of self-nourishment. These small manageable actions can ease your mental load and give you a great alternative to opening up X out of habit. 

• Physical movement: Whether you enjoy dancing to your favorite album, walking through your favorite park, sweating in the gym, or stretching in a quiet corner of your home, moving the body has an abundance of benefits for our mental and emotional wellbeing. Higher intensity exercise can help release stress, anger, or irritation, or slower movement can help ground and relax your system. 
• Breathing Exercises: How often do you think about breathing? Practice slowing the mind to focus on the sole task of inhaling and exhaling. Whether you enjoy a moment of meditation, alternate-nostril-breathing, or box breathing to hold your breath in between deep respirations, there’s a plethora of breathing exercises you can try within a few minutes.
• Bring the Spa To You: If you don’t have money to spend on a spa, make it happen at home. Take a warm shower or bath, don your fluffiest robe, cut up some cucumbers for your eyes, make a DIY facemask, do some grooming, massage your scalp, face, neck, and shoulders to ease tension. 
• Treat Yourself: For the chefs and bakers who find cooking or baking to be therapeutic, take an afternoon to craft a comfort meal, snack, or dessert. Alternatively, making a cup of herbal tea or a fruit-filled lemonade can have equally satisfying effects. A healthy meal powers the brain and body with nutrients, while enjoying your favorite childhood meal can do wonders for your mood. Enjoy your creation with a family member or friend, or in front of a toasty fire or scenic window. 

Innovative Digital Self-Care Strategies for Long-Term Balance

When you’re beginning your self-care, it’s unrealistic to expect that you’ll suddenly be able to spend entire evenings without looking at a screen with ease. Instead, take it slow, and integrate small repeatable actions called “micro habits” into your self-care strategies. Here’s a few innovative ways to cultivate a healthier relationship with your digital devices.

• Notification Controls: Adjust your phone’s settings to limit app notifications to your essentials. This will create more breathing room from the rush of digital noise and keep you from constantly checking your phone. 
• Download Freedom: Whenever you need a moment of mindfulness, digital wellness software Freedom allows you to block off entire websites and apps for as long as you decide. You can create different blocklists with varying sites and apps that can recur at the same time everyday, or on a whim. 
• Digital Fasting: Try to designate a handful of minutes, hours, or even an entire day each week without screens. In the meantime, you can try a new restaurant, visit a friend, craft some home decor, tidy up your space, journal out your dreams, make a vision board, play some board games, chef up a new recipe, go bowling, visit your library… Get creative with alternative activities! 

Whether you only have a few minutes or a whole afternoon for self-care, implementing micro habits reduces the constant hum of digital stimulation, so you can more easily be present with your time.

You can even build a full foundation of self-care even when you’re at work by stacking micro habits on top of each other. For example, drink water before you check your emails, take 2 minutes for some deep breathing between meetings, or journal a mental check-in at the end of the day. 

Over time, you may notice that you feel less overwhelmed by work. Whenever you want to unwind, you’re reaching for a book instead of your phone. That means your microhabits are working! 

Start Small and Stay Consistent

When you find yourself overwhelmed by the stressors of life, take a cue from your favorite fictional movie characters to gaze out the window, get lost in a good book, paint your feelings, or chef up something comforting for some self-care. Remember that even small adjustments with moments of self-care can create substantial changes in your mood over time. 

As you create your sanctuary space, implement microhabits, and try out an array of self-care methods, download Freedom to keep you in the present and away from digital distractions so you can enjoy mental clarity and peace of mind.

Written by Lorena Bally