We are all guilty of being glued to our phones and laptops all day (sometimes even night!). For expats, who have to keep track of the news in two countries and keep in touch with loved ones abroad, the temptation to remain chronically online is even stronger. Every now and then, a "digital detox" can do wonders for your mental health. But how can you take a break from the digital world?
Technostress, nomophobia and Zoom fatigue: mental health challenges of the 21st century
Two decades ago, no one in our families suffered from “technostress” or “nomophobia.” Sure, they might have struggled with generalized anxiety and depression, mental health issues that have existed since the advent of humankind. Still, their mental health struggles were typically not connected to the use of technology.
The dizzying technological advances since the early 2000s now mean that technology permeates every aspect of our lives. Need to check your bank balance? There's an app for that. Need to consult a dictionary? It's online. Looking to generate more leads for your business? You need to stay active on LinkedIn every day. Need to talk with your family back home while you are living abroad as an expat? Make a video call on WhatsApp. Remain up-to-date about what's happening to the economy? Read your daily email newsletters from five different online magazines instead of one physical newspaper. Bored on your daily commute to work? Check Instagram to see where your middle school friend is vacationing or what new clothes your favorite store has.
While all of this technology has made our lives easier, our over-reliance on it also leads to stress and fatigue. “Technostress” is a neologism that has been coined to describe the stress, fatigue and emotional dysregulation that is triggered by the use of new technologies. This type of stress can lead to anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive behavior, and sleep disturbance. Research has shown that excessive phone use at night increases the likelihood of insomnia, especially as the bright white light of the screen makes it harder to fall asleep.
The effects are not only psychological. The physical consequences of being glued to your phone or laptop are poor posture, back and neck pain, and worsening eyesight. Neck problems from constantly looking down at a phone, tablet or laptop have been termed “tech neck.” “Nomophobia” might sound like a tongue-in-cheek term, but it has been seriously used by the medical community to describe the anxiety of not having your phone on you and not being able to go online. It's the panic that sets in when you run out of battery while out, or the unease of going to the grocery store without your phone, even though you know it's a short trip and you won't get lost.
The pandemic gave us another term: “Zoom fatigue.” When work and studies shift online, we often have to endure hours of back-to-back online meetings or classes. It leads to eye strain, a loss of motivation, exhaustion from making constant eye contact with our colleagues on-screen, and even a sense of psychological disassociation from the eeriness of seeing ourselves in a little box on the top-right corner of the screen. There are multiple reasons why expats can experience all of the above more intensely than other people:
- Expats straddle two countries: the one they currently live in and their home country. Some even straddle three or more countries, if they are serial expats who have hopped between multiple locations. Keeping in touch with friends and family in all of these countries requires being online every day. Your phone is always in your pocket in case a loved one from back home texts you. This is especially true for expats in long-distance relationships or those practicing FIFO (fly-in, fly-out) parenting with children living abroad.
- Many feel expat guilt for leaving their families behind. They may feel like they are missing important milestones in the lives of their loved ones back home, such as the graduation ceremonies of younger siblings, and that they are absent for their aging and ailing parents. They also experience a “fear of missing out” (“FOMO”) for missing out on good times, such as parties with childhood friends. This guilt and fear can lead them to spend hours scrolling Instagram posts about events back home.
- Expats often have bank accounts, rental properties, and various investments in another country. Managing these remotely requires staying connected online much of the time.
- Many expats work remotely or in a hybrid setup. The boom in digital nomadism in the post-pandemic years means that nomads in locations with digital nomad visas, such as Portugal, Mexico or Estonia, now rely 100% on their laptops for work across another timezone.
Practical tips to unplug from technology as an expat
As seen above, expats are particularly prone to the negative psychological and physical effects of constant screen time. One solution? Try a digital detox. The term "detox" has become popular in wellness circles, often referring to short-term diets in nutrition. However, a detox isn't limited to food and drink — it can also mean a break from your electronic devices. A digital detox means disconnecting from your phone or laptop for a few hours or even weeks to focus on your mental well-being, family, or personal pursuits like an artistic practice (writing, painting, crocheting, etc.). Here are some practical tips for a successful digital detox:
Take time off work and go on a digital detox retreat
Do you have unused paid leave at work? Consider using them to go on a digital detox retreat or holiday, either locally or abroad. The wellness and hospitality industry is seeing growth in retreats designed specifically to help you disconnect from technology, often set in serene and scenic natural environments.
- In the UK and Spain, for instance, the company Unplugged offers tech-free retreats in off-the-grid cabins in the countryside, a few hours away from major cities. Phones are padlocked away in a box, and guests are given a simple Nokia to make calls in case of emergencies. There is no WiFi or data connectivity. For 3 or 4 days, they are encouraged to live simply in a wooden cabin, immerse themselves in the nature that surrounds them, read paper books (no ebooks!), and spend time with their partner (if they opted for a couples retreat).
- Some digital detox retreats blend nature and culture. The retreat of Hoshinoya Resorts in Tokyo, for instance, immerses guests in the atmosphere of the Edo Period (17th–19th centuries) for two days. Apart from enjoying massages, hot springs, and traditional Japanese food, guests get to practice swordsmanship of the Edo Period. Of course, no mobile phones are allowed during these two days.
Some retreats incorporate a spiritual aspect, taking place in monasteries, temples, and ashrams. For example, the Eremito Hotel in Italy is a former monastery that now offers a digital detox retreat.
If you can't take extended time off work
Try setting aside a few hours of screen-free time each day or opt for a short service that lasts less than a day. For instance, avoid checking emails or using social media in the 3-4 hours before bed. On weekends, plan screen-free activities like exercising, gardening, reading, painting, or playing traditional board games. If you find it hard to resist checking your phone for notifications or headlines, take a tip from retreat staff and lock your phone away in a box.
If you can't take extended time off work, try setting aside a few hours of screen-free time each day or opt for a digital detox service that lasts less than a day. For instance, avoid checking emails or using social media in the 3-4 hours before bed. On weekends, plan screen-free activities like exercising, gardening, reading, painting, or playing traditional board games.
If you find it hard to resist reaching out to your phone to check for notifications or headlines
Take a tip from structured retreats: lock your phone away in a cupboard. Hang the key to the box somewhere around the house for a few hours. Even better, consider buying a timed phone lock box, an innovative gadget available on e-commerce sites like Amazon or Temu. These devices feature a timer that prevents access to your locked phone until a pre-set amount of time has passed.
If you really need the sense of the structure of a retreat but do not have remaining paid leaves at work
Some digital detox services offer retreats that last only a few hours. One example is The Offline Club, an offline community with pop-up cafés in multiple major cities, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon, London, Paris, Los Angeles, and Dubai. With the tagline “swap screen time for real-time,” these pop-up events focus on hanging out with other people, reading in silence together, and playing board games. Participants' phones remain locked in a box at the entrance during the few hours that the meetups last.
Explain to your co-workers and loved ones why this is important
If your manager is used to you responding to emails or Teams messages at any hour, take the time to have a conversation with her/him. Explain that you're setting boundaries to ensure you're more energized and productive at work after your screen-free downtime. A digital detox, even one of a few hours, allows you to get rid of mental clutter, which improves your ability to focus and think creatively afterward.
Talk to your loved ones
Make your family and friends abroad understand that even if you do not reply to their texts immediately, you will do so within 1-2 days. Schedule catch-up calls with them outside of your screen-free hours. Ask them for updates about their lives during these calls so that you are not tempted to keep checking their social media profiles all day for updates.
