Week #4: Limiting Screen Time and Getting More Sleep (Part 3)

Hello blog! To finish off this week, I continued to go to bed around 11-11:30 pm and I did my best to cut down my screen time although I did face some complications. I continued to have virtual school for the rest of the week, so I had to be on my computer all day to attend my online Zoom classes! I also had to use my computer to access and turn in assignments on Schoology as well as other software such as Google Slides and Google Docs. Towards the end of the week, I also had to use my phone to take pictures of documents and upload them to Schoology. I also had to use my phone to watch and learn routines for pom all week! Despite all of the mandatory time I had to spend on screens, I did continue to cut down on my social media usage such as Snapchat, Instagram, and Tiktok. I also stayed away from unnecessary calls and messaging as well. I did my best to also limit how much time I watched television! Although I did face many bumps in the road when trying to limit my screen time, I was able to keep a steady sleep schedule this week and get to bed by 11-11:30 pm every night.

Conclusion:

Overall, I believe that limiting my screen time and getting more sleep had many positive benefits! Limiting my screen time provided me with so much more time throughout the day to get my work done. Since I had much more time to get my work done, I was less anxious and stressed out. I also felt much more productive and accomplished which boosted my self-esteem. Getting more sleep at night helped me have much more energy throughout the day! Getting out of bed in the morning was also much easier. I felt that it did not take me as much time to completely wake up when I got more sleep as well. I also felt that it was much easier for me to focus on my school work throughout the day as well. I felt that I was able to think more clearly. I was shocked by how much of an effect this healthy had on me in such little time!

Effect On Mental Wellness: 9/10

Limiting my screen time and getting more sleep had an incredible impact on my mental wellness! Although I noticed that limiting my screen time did allow me to get more done and reduce my stress, I do not think that this one week trial was enough to see a change in my overall quality of life. Since I had to be constantly using technology for mandatory purposes this week, I believe that I did not get the full effect of being disconnected and solely focusing on just myself. Therefore, I believe this healthy habit would have an even greater effect if so much of what I had to do this week did not revolve around technology. Even though I could not be completely "disconnected", it was a very calming and productive break from social media and television! The main impact from this week's healthy habit came from getting more sleep! Getting more sleep at night effected everything I did the next day. It allowed me to feel less groggy and drained throughout the day which was very relieving. Since it allowed me to focus better in school, I feel that I produced a better quality of work on my assignments and I also got better scores on many of my tests! I also felt that my overall mood improved last week and I felt less stressed throughout the day. This is a healthy habit that not only improved my mental healthy, but my physical health as well! I will definitely continue to go to bed earlier in the future.