TAKING BACK CONTROL FROM OUR SCREENS

Digital minimalism can cut the noise, restore focus, and strengthen real-world connections

- BY ANOOP PAUDVAL | Special to Gulf News

“A digital minimalism practice is about being in conscious control of your technology and how much attention you allow it to ask of you.” That statement took me to another level of thinking.

Most of us are usually glued to our phones at night — scrolling X, watching YouTube, you name it. Recently, I forced myself to go screen-free after 7pm. Just books, a notebook, and some music on an old speaker. At first, I was twitchy, reaching for my phone out of habit. But by 9pm, I was deep into a novel and jotting down random thoughts. It felt like I had reclaimed my brain for a while. I'm not ready to ditch technology completely, but it was a refreshing reset. Does this add value to my mental wellness? I believe it does.