Wellbeing Connections with Dr. Carla is a weekly blog post written by Dr. Carla Chugani, an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh.  At the beginning of the pandemic, Dr. Chugani (a therapist and mental health researcher with expertise in collegiate mental health) was asked to begin preparing weekly wellness emails for her division.  These messages have since spread across her university and she is delighted to share them with the University of Delaware community.  Her weekly messages are a mix of skills from evidence-based practices such as cognitive behavior therapy and dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness practices, practical tips for solving everyday problems (e.g., email overload and zoom fatigue), and reactions to major world events.  Overall, the goal of these messages is to provide weekly reminders to create space for wellbeing, self-care, and reflection.

Hi Everyone,

Today, I’d like to write a bit about mental health and technology use, which is a complex and often debated topic!  For me, it seems like since the pandemic began, I am even more connected with my digital devices than usual because it’s been the primary medium for both work and social connections over the last 15 months.  I think that part of what can be really challenging about technology is that there are a lot of ways we can use technology to support our health and wellbeing (e.g., social connection, tracking exercise, mindfulness and nutrition apps, etc.) and, overuse of technology can also interfere with our wellbeing, such as when we begin to compulsively check our phones, feel anxious if we don’t have constant access to our devices, or find ourselves often on social media and comparing ourselves to others.  Personally, the way these struggles most often show up for me is through a compulsion to check my work email when I am not supposed to be working (e.g., during lunch, after work, on weekends, and during vacation).  

Moderating your use of technology for health and wellbeing really depends on what specific issues you’d like to work on.  For example, if you over-use social media, you can use a screen time monitor and set goals for reducing overall screen time and app use.  If you notice that you feel the need to be constantly connected, try scheduling digital vacations or no-phone time to get more comfortable with unplugging.  If you’re like me and struggle with disconnecting from work/emails, you may consider setting some limits around times or situations during which you will not check work email.  It’s not so much about the “right” strategy as it is about finding what’s right for you in terms of supporting your own wellbeing.  A final piece of this that I think is important to note is that it can be helpful to make a commitment and have some accountability.  In the spirit of practicing what I preach, I’m going to make a public commitment:  During the next few weeks, I commit to not checking work email after 7 pm, and, I’m going to limit checking it to a handful of times per day on the weekend (Spoiler alert:  It’s hard!!).  If you think your technology use could use some modifications, I encourage you to make a commitment too.  Tell someone about your plan and ask them to help you stay accountable!

Best,
Carla