Digital Wellbeing: 5 Tips for Entrepreneurs

We're getting much better these days at recognising the negative impact the modern digital world can have on our mental health. But when you're focused on being a bada** business boss, it can be easy to slip into bad habits and not realise that your digital activity is having a negative impact on your health. This might be why the term 'digital wellbeing' has been trending in recent months.

As an entrepreneur, you already know how hard it is to juggle all of the tasks that come with running your own business. But your wellbeing doesn't need to suffer - in fact, looking after yourself is part of looking after your business. We know it's not always easy, but here are 5 tips for managing your digital wellbeing as an entrepreneur:

Set aside some time to clear your slate

The feeling of having more emails than you can deal with is a surefire way to end up in a state of digital panic. If you're feeling bombarded, set aside some time to clear your inbox (you can even schedule it in your diary if that makes you feel better).

Focus on 4 actions - we recommend going through your inbox and doing each of these one-by-one:

• Archive or delete old emails that you no longer need.

• File away anything you need to keep but doesn't require an action.

• Flag any emails that require you to follow up, where time/ thought are required. Block out time in your diary for specific actions or tasks you need to do.

• Respond to any email that will take you less than 60 seconds to reply to (then delete/ file).

While inbox zero might be a utopian dream, there are ways to keep the email overwhelm at bay - scheduling in time to clear the decks each week can help, or check out Superhuman if you are a Gmail user to help you manage your emails more effectively.

Photo by Jeremy Bezanger on Unsplash

Keep track of time

Do you know how much time you spend on specific apps or websites each day? To work out where you can save some time, try using time tracking apps like Toggl to record how many hours a week each site takes. Or you could try something like RescueTime, which will help you set limits for yourself on usage time. For Apple users, most of your devices probably offer screentime reports already.

If you find that there are old apps or websites that you no longer visit, clear out your browser history and uninstall the apps you don't use anymore. This will help keep distractions at bay.

Pause the notifications

Notifications can cause us a lot of stress - this isn't a new phenomenon (anyone else remember the phantom blinking red light of the Blackberry?!) but it has only been exacerbated by the explosion of apps in recent years. Turning your notifications off can help you feel more in control of your digital activity and less at everyone else's beck and call. In most cases, you don't really need to respond instantly to Instagram comments or WhatsApp messages.

You can also make use of tools such as Freedom or Blocksite (using apps to manage apps, ironic we know) which allow you to block distractions like Facebook or Twitter for a certain period of time (e.g. 30 minutes) before automatically letting you go back online.

Become an expert at single-tasking.

Research has shown that single-tasking makes us more productive than multitasking - 40% more productive in fact. Context-switching (i.e. jumping from one task to the next) can cost us 20–80% of our overall productivity per task.

To overcome the temptation (and drawbacks) of multitasking, try focusing on one task at a time. Many people use a Pomodoro timer to help them focus on one task at a time, which might work for you, especially if you like to work in short bursts.

Embrace separate devices

Having a separate phone and/or laptop for work can provide a physical separation between work and home. It allows you to 'shut down your computer' or 'turn your phone off' at the end of the day.

It might sound old school, but if you're feeling like your devices are having a negative effect on your wellbeing this might be the right approach for you. While flexible working has its benefits, always being available and switched on to your work can take its toll. This is one of the reasons France introduced the Right To Disconnect a few years ago - having downtime uninterrupted by work emails is vital for our wellbeing.

Main photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash