Digital Cooldown

23/07/2020

For the past year, I’ve been developing a digital wellness app to help people improve their online habits. I’m happy to announce that the Digital Cooldown app is now live! I understand that during this difficult time, the idea of moderating or changing your online habits can be exhausting. So all I’m going to say is that it’s there if you need it. If you’re feeling anxious about social media, the news or just want to carve out a bit of space for you to reflect, you may find the app helpful.

There are over 30 lessons to help you explore an area of your digital life. You can download it on the App Store and Google Play Store by searching for “Digital Cooldown”.
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23/12/2019

As 2019 comes to a close, my latest blog entry reflects how far I've come on my own personal digital wellness journey.

In late 2016, I gave up the internet for two months. In 2017, I vowed to find a “digital-life balance” as my New Year’s Resolution. But it takes longer than a year to reform entrenched habits and e…

18/12/2019

New blog! Metrification, social comparison, speed -- digital spaces can be noisy and stressful. My latest blog is on how we can reduce it.

1. Avoid competitive and comparative spaces in your leisure time Social media is built on social comparison: lifestyle, looks, number of followers, number of likes, professional accomplishments. Yo…

09/12/2019

My latest blog entry is on burnout and how to prevent it: http://blog.digitalcooldown.com/2019/12/09/how-to-resist-millennial-burnout-in-a-24-7-culture/

Whether it’s side hustle culture, a high pressure job that makes it difficult for you to boundaries or the pressure to perform for other people on social media, you may feel you’re at r…

05/12/2019

It can be difficult to create freely when you feel constantly judged. Here's how to recover :

Self-expression has always been one of the joys of the internet. But as social media has evolved to centre around likes, views, followers and stats, you may find it difficult to express yourself wi…

02/12/2019

It can be difficult separating your self-esteem from using social media semi-professionally. If you struggle with social comparison, taking a more strategic approach can help, especially when everyone else seems to be flying! :

If you are working on a side hustle that you’re passionate about, it can be difficult to separate your self-esteem from your project when you use social media.  You may find yourself obsessed …

19/09/2019

Oomph! I’ve had a pretty bad couple of Instagram (and internet days in general). Procrastination, compulsive checking, chronic distraction, you get the picture. But “digital wellness”, like any form of “wellness”, is not a finished state. It’s a process. It’s about setting boundaries and experimenting to see what works for you. And when you slip, you focus on improving again - no matter how small the step.

Trying to aim for a perfect state of pure control or “wellbeing” can be a toxic idea that puts a lot of pressure on yourself. I admit I can be a bit “all of nothing”, which means I overreact whenever I don’t meet my own (high) standards.

I’m not a failure for procrastinating or scrolling more that I’d like. Seeing that written down makes it sound absurd. Sometimes all you can aim for is a day that was better than yesterday, or a new moment that’s better than the last. But either way, chill out, breathe, let the moment go, and embrace a new one. 🥰😁🌞
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07/05/2019

I will be speaking at the Humane Tech London Meet Up at 28th May on “Reframing digital wellbeing: beyond detoxes, screentime and the cult of productivity”. I’ll argue that we need to centre digital wellbeing on empathy and empowerment. The event is free! And it’s really awesome if you’re interested in tech ethics and digital wellness. Sign up here: https://www.meetup.com/Humane-Tech-London/events/260847431/
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29/04/2019

I’ll be holding a one-hour taster digital wellbeing workshop at Impact Hub Brixton as part of their Business Helpdesk Series on May 7th 1-2pm. So if you’re a Freelancer who could improve their online habits by understanding what’s driving them, then come along! It’s only £5 for non-members of Impact Hub Brixton and FREE for members.

01/04/2019

What’s your number? If you had to rate your relationship with your phone and laptop from 1 to 10 (1 = terrible, 10 = great), what would it be? Mine’s a 6 - I’ve worked through the worst of my digital habits (compulsively checking Twitter and the news), but I had a bit of a dip last week because of the intense UK news landscape. I also need a periodic reminder to focus my attention on apps and sites that bring me the most value.

Understanding your relationship with the internet and how to improve it is something we’ll explore at my next digital wellbeing workshop, so come along! Details: 7pm, Tuesday 16 April at Brixton Pound Café, London. The Earlybird ends this Sunday, 7th April. If you book by then you can attend for £10. It’s £17.50 after that. Link in profile.
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# techlondon

16/03/2019

I’ll be hosting a Digital Wellbeing workshop at the lovely, Brixton Pound Cafe! If you’re in London, come along for an evening exploring your personal relationship with the internet, your emotional drivers and how you can focus on what you love. Would love to see some of you there! 7pm, Tuesday 16th April. Tickets are £10 until 6th April and £17.50 after that. Link in profile.
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@ Brixton Pound Cafe

06/03/2019

I've wanted a dog for a long time. Medium-sized, preferably a mongrel, very dog-looking. But soon after following lots of pugs and poms on Insta, my taste in dogs started to change. I began wanting something small and impossibly cute. I no longer wanted a dog that could fetch a newspaper and join me on hypothetically long hikes I'd never go on. I wanted a dog I could dress up in a pirate costume.

But then I watched "The Cost of Cute: The Dark Side of Puppy Trade", a BBC documentary on the illegal puppy trade that often takes puppies from their mothers too young. They can then suffer from illnesses, behavioural disorders and die early. It talked about how Instagram and YouTube influencers were driving demand for unhealthy breeds, like pugs, that would require surgery on their noses to let them breathe normally.

Some of the side-effects of social media are weird and totally unexpected. But driving the illegal puppy trade for breeds that many vets don't even think should be born is one of them. After watching that, I unfollowed all animals on Insta (except for one black cat).

Another side effect of that was that I ended up spending a lot less time on Instagram. By unfollowing the dogs, I just found Instagram less interesting. That actually led me to one of my deeper insights about spending less time on Insta (IF that's a goal of yours): unfollow things that spark joy (and drive illegal puppy-trades). ;)
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