How much screen time should you have every day?

by ActiveSG Masters Club, on August 9, 2020

Am I spending too much time on Digital Devices?

Singaporean adults spend 3.7 hours online every day � excluding time at work. Long workdays plus almost four hours of recreational screen time has long-term effects such as lower mental performance, cognitive function, and processing speed.

As adults, we wouldn�t hesitate to protect our children from screen addiction, laziness and the risk of anti-social behaviour, but we must realise that we aren�t immune to such problems either. Too much screen time is as big an issue to adults as it is to children and we can be at a much higher risk to screen addiction than we realise. There�s nobody to regulate our screen time, so self-regulation is a must.

How to minimise the negative effects of too much screen time?

Spending long hours staring at the screen because you�re doing work is inevitable, but you don�t have to live with the full impact of the consequences. It�s possible to address some of the negative effects of insomnia, stress and poor health with the following lifestyle changes:

Help yourself sleep better by practicing good sleep hygiene

Maintaining a regular bedtime routine and ensuring your bedroom is a conducive place for sleep are some of the good habits you should adopt in having good sleep hygiene. The most important thing to do if you want to sleep better is to not let your digital devices interfere with your sleep routine (even if it�s a regular behaviour). Keep sources of blue light away from you and power down your devices an hour before bedtime.

Have more real-life social interactions

It�s easy to spend mealtime watching the TV or checking your social media feed. Put your gadget aside and make mealtimes an occasion for proper family or friend face-time. Talking to people will make the virtual world seem more distant and help you focus on what�s real.

Adopt a more active lifestyle

To fight the toll that too much screen time takes on your fitness levels, you can choose to literally switch your lifestyle around and get more physical. Do as much walking as you can and take breaks in between bouts of work to stretch your legs and move around. Simple and light physical activities can significantly reduce feelings of stress and fight off mental disorders.

Where possible, try to incorporate some simple workouts into your weekly schedule. Find some activities that suit your lifestyle and that you enjoy � you can explore these and get tips on whether the activities are suitable for your lifestyle in the long run at our Active Health Labs.

Cut back on your screen time

If you have trouble telling yourself when to take a break, set some alarms that go off at specific intervals to remind yourself to take a breather and look away from the screen. Let your eyes move away from the screen every 30 minutes. Take a walk every 2-3 hours. Also, don�t use your phone or computer when you�re eating as it interrupts digestion and could become a bad habit that feeds the addiction problem. The same holds true for taking your phone to the toilet with you!

Get your blood pumping with some exercise

Exercise � even in small amounts like a daily 15-minute jog � can give you a pleasant rush of endorphins and significantly boost your energy levels and mood. Regular exercise is important in making sure your fatigue problems don�t come back but take care not to overdo it as too much exertion can have the opposite effect. Start with simple exercises and slowly build the intensity of your daily routine to something of a manageable level � speaking to experts such as those at our Active Health Labs can help you find an ideal exercise plan.

Recharge your energy with frequent small meals

Keeping yourself full will help to maintain your physical and mental energy levels. Small meals in the form of healthy snacks such as raw nuts or a piece of fruit between meals will help to keep you energised. Avoid heavy meals as these can lead to the dreaded �food coma�. On the topic of meals, ensure that you are eating healthily by including fruits and vegetables at every meal and maintaining a healthy weight!

Hydrate regularly

Like food, water also helps to keep your energy levels up. However, stay away from sugary drinks, caffeinated drinks and alcohol � these can give you an instant rush of energy but could also lead to a steep drop in energy levels shortly after.

Get more sleep

Sleeping more definitely helps to relieve some of the physical and mental fatigue you are experiencing. Apart from trying to get to bed earlier, maintaining good sleep hygiene practices will also help you get better quality sleep. Some examples of these include using a night mode on your phone and turning off your digital devices an hour before bedtime and getting yourself relaxed before bed with music, a shower and an enjoyable book.

De-stress

Keeping feelings of stress and anxiety at bay can actually be really helpful in fighting fatigue. Stress is the biggest cause of mental fatigue and learning how to relax and let go of your worries can help you focus better during the day and sleep better at night. Certain activities also help you to relax better, such as massages, yoga or journaling.