3 tips on how to use technology to increase well-being

It’s hard to imagine our world without technology. Technology permeates all human activities, and has profoundly affected everything we do.

Now, while most people undoubtedly agree that technology has many benefits for humanity, it’s quite common to hear the view that technology prevents us from being happy.

The two examples that are most commonly cited are: social media addiction and gaming addiction. And yes, it’s absolutely correct that addiction to either of those can block us from many of the things that are important for a healthy and happy life.

But I would argue that it isn’t the technology per se that is blocking our well-being, but rather our unbalanced relationship to it.

In other words, these technologies can be used either to increase well-being, or to decrease it, depending on how we use them.

So this raises the question: is there a right way to use technology, one that is sure to generate more well-being?

Obviously, this is a complex question, and the answer is likely to differ, depending on the specific context, and the technology being used.

Nevertheless, here are 3 general tips that can help to approach technology in a way that is likely to increase our well-being, instead of detracting from it:

Learn to reflect on how technology affects your well-being:

Very often, we do things without reflecting on how they affect us. There are many reasons for this. Maybe we’re too busy, or just following the force of habit, or maybe we need to get a job done quickly.

But an important skill in life is the ability to tell precisely how the things we do affect our well-being. This is especially true when it comes to our use of technology.

For example, many people report that too many hours spent in front of a computer can cause a wide range of symptoms of physical discomfort, ranging from neck pain to headaches.

Often, these symptoms show up at the end of the day, after the activity is done. During the day we’re too busy to notice the first signs of discomfort.

So, it’s important to learn to reflect on the state of our well-being regularly, while using technology. Once we understand how using a particular technology affects us, we can manage our use of it accordingly.

For example, if too much computer work gives you a headache, take regular breaks every two hours. And while taking a break, do something completely different. Go for a walk, exercise, have a coffee with friends, or meditate.

Or, if reading work-related emails in the evening tends to give you sleepless nights, stop checking your inbox after 8pm.

This will allow you to balance out the negative effects of technology, while still enjoying the benefits that it provides.

Use technology to achieve something meaningful

Since technology can be used for almost any purpose, make sure you are using it to achieve something you are passionate about.

If you do work that is not fulfilling, it’s understandable that spending every day working with technology can be boring, tedious, and even mind-numbing.

But, if you are passionate about your work, then any results you achieve with technology will inspire you, and feed your passion at the end of the day.

Interestingly, many entrepreneurs report that they can work very long hours every day, 7 days a week, without becoming fatigued, or getting technology burnout.

This suggests that the energy of inspiration motivating them goes a long way to counteract any negative effects of technology.

Use technology designed to increase well-being

As mentioned above, technology can be used for almost anything. So it’s hardly surprising that there are an increasing number of technologies specifically designed to increase well-being.

For example, several mobile apps on the market are designed to increase mindfulness and/or counteract stress. Examples include Destressify, Centered, and Calm

Indeed, my own passion over the last years has been to create a tool that can help to detect meaningful moments in life and understand their emotional impact.

In addition, I wanted such a tool to be able to visualize trends and life patterns both at the level of great detail, as well as on a larger scale.

This passion drove me to develop RealifeChange, a mobile app designed to support self-reflection and well-being.

It is my firm belief that, through the use of tools like this, we can indeed use technology to increase our well-being.