Digital wellness is a new concept that has come to the limelight during the pandemic. There was a time when mobile phones were considered harmless. Yes, we are talking about the era when Nokia 3310 was all the rage! Mobile phones were made for a particular purpose, and that was to help people stay connected. Send texts! Make calls! Play Snake! What more could you want from a cellphone? Back then, it was cutting-edge technology, but compared to today’s smartphones, the flip phone is considered a caveman invention.
Since the advancement of the digital world, various applications or apps have been introduced that have greatly influenced our lives. Around the world, such technologies are commonly used regardless of their effects and are considered a necessity of life. It is no secret that we are on our smartphones for over 13 hours a day, sometimes longer, from checking our messages to using social media platforms and the Internet for almost everything, including online shopping, watching informative and educational content like news, and binge watching shows, the list is endless. In recent times, sadly, we have been relying on the digital world way too much and have lost track of the physical and mental health consequences of technology overuse. Even though these technologies have made our lives relatively easy with on-demand communication and instant gratification, the fact is they have also adversely affected our social and personal communication skills.
With the world being connected more through different social media platforms, it has also resulted in people being isolated; hence, the majority of people are suffering from depression and anxiety. Before digitization, life was much simpler. But now, the digital world is focused on creating an illusion that everything has to be perfect. Whether it is our selfies or just uploading vacation pictures, we are constantly comparing our lives with others. For the sake of getting meaningless likes and reactions on their posts, some people have sacrificed many moments of presence with their loved ones. It is an ongoing rat race that never seems to end. However, Nina Hersher, the Chief Learning Officer of The Digital Wellness Institute, has declared digital wellness a necessity and shared how we must bring intention to our attention to support not only our mental health but also our human connections and relationships.
The Chief Learning Officer of the Digital Wellness Institute, Nina co-authored the bestselling book, ‘Your Playbook for Thriving in the Remote Work Era’ and is also a highly sought-after speaker. Known as the leading expert in the digital wellness industry, this dynamic entrepreneur holds a specialized Master of Social Work in Norms of Connectivity, Digital Culture and Program Development and is an Oasis on the Overwhelm Facilitator, Meditation Teacher, and all-around wellness guru for the digital era. Her efforts to spread awareness about digital wellness led her to create the annual Digital Wellness Day, which has run annually for the last three years on the first Friday in May, reaching over 7 million people in 36 countries across the globe. She has been featured on some of the biggest platforms, including Forbes, The Stanford Social Innovation Review, Al Jazeera, and Voice of America, for her remarkable work.
It was the lack of resources and education in the field of digital wellness that motivated Nina to take some initiative and help people struggling with such issues. After graduating from school, she co-founded The Digital Wellness Warriors in 2018 (which was rebranded as the Digital Wellness Collective later that year), creating the only global trade association for digital wellness professionals. This highly publicized group was known for connecting and serving digital wellness and tech-life balance professionals. In fact, Fast Company reported and recognized it as a place “where software developers and others working to make smartphones less harmful can collaborate.” As The Digital Wellness Collective sought to standardize Digital Wellness Education and create research-based educational programs, it evolved into the Digital Wellness Institute, which partnered with the two-time Emmy award-winning documentary The Social Dilemma as an impact partner to promote the first Certified Digital Wellness Educator program.
Nina Hersher’s leadership on this program and contribution to the digital wellness curriculum has been praised as it highlights how we can harness technology to fuel instead of fatigue us and use it to support mental health. While it seems the digital world has engulfed us and going offline seems almost impossible, we must acknowledge that tech-enabled work and fully remote jobs are a source of income for many. Nina has developed some techniques that help in minimizing their harmful effects and achieve screen-life balance, all the while improving self-care. One of her famous techniques is an exercise known as the Unplug Box. This box doubles as a charging station and can be placed anywhere in the household outside of the bedroom. The aim is to intentionally unplug and recharge yourself just as you would recharge your phone. Nina recommends creating an unplugged morning and evening routine for at least 30 minutes upon waking and prior to going to bed to support sleep, health and peace of mind. A recent study shows that many kids of the digital era suffer from low self-esteem and lack of confidence. In fact, these kids showed a lack of communication and emotional skills compared to their previous generation, which didn’t have much digital exposure. These are the challenges that the world is facing right now. Nina Hersher firmly believes that digital wellness is not a luxury but, in fact, a necessity. We must update our tools and practices for digital wellness: the optimum state of health and wellbeing each individual using technology is capable of achieving.
