My daily routine during the week often consists of the same things every day: work, school, go back to work, workout, sleep and repeat. Anything in between there includes activities such as eating, chores or more homework and planning. This routine does allow time for some technology and my devices throughout the day, however, most of my day “screen time” consists of iMessages, Mail, and platforms used for my school work and work. I occasionally find myself scrolling on my social media apps, like Snapchat, Instagram or Facebook, however, I can admit that I am a wholehearted night time scroller. This intense scrolling happens from feeling like I need to update myself on what I may have missed during the day, but unfortunately right before bed. You may be thinking that this is not that big of an issue, but when I scroll, it can be anywhere from twenty minutes to…. AN HOUR OR TWO. Other than this… I would say most of my technology is used for school or work purposes… which now makes me feel like I am officially an adult.
From one busy person to another, I can definitely say it can be difficult to keep organized, productive and plan accordingly. I find that the app that keep me in line is the iPhone default Calendar app. Although this is simple, I find that this app has easy accessibility and is not difficult to navigate. I have all my appointments, plans and important dates inputted, and I get a reminder when they are getting closer. Something that I also have found important, has been keeping my notifications on for my calendar app. This keeps me from always having to look in the app! I usually pair my digital calendar with a physical planner that also keeps my schedule handy and accessible, in my school/work bag.
A strategy that helps me balance my screen time, academic schedule and personal wellbeing often depends on the day. There are always days that have more of a schedule than others, however, I always try and have one thing I want to accomplish for the day. This could be anything from making sure I eat at least 1 good meal that day, get a good workout in, or even going for a walk to clear the mind. I have noticed that when I have one thing to look forward to in the day, it starts the process making plans to start filling my day with. To ensure that I have a healthy relationship with technology, I have found that posting less of my life and keeping it more private has hugely affected my self esteem. Personally, I think that I am the only one who needs to know what is going on in my life and if anyone is curious they can always communicate that with me, or vice vera! Sometimes I think we can get too ahead of our selves and compare our lives to someone’s who may be completely different.