We live in a world where we are expected to be always plugged in. From checking DMs in the morning to unending news overhauls, emails, and reels, we are now consumed by screens, content, and noise in the name of muse. Even though it keeps us all connected, it still leaves most of us standing on the edge, anxious and completely exhausted.
For most of us, it has become a method of relaxing, but consuming media online most certainly overdrives our brains. As a result, the best psychiatrists in Siliguri frequently meet patients struggling with stress, diseases like insomnia, mood swings, and burnout. And the root cause is nothing but digital overstimulation.
WHAT IS DIGITAL STIMULATION?
Digital overstimulation happens when your brain is exposed to excessive data that it cannot contemplate. The constant scrolling on different platforms to keep ourselves updated on recent activities can slowly make our brains prone to mental fatigue.
As a result, people become more irritable, face issues sleeping, and in severe cases, people suffer from depression.
It is important to understand how digital overstimulation can affect us:
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AXIETY DISORDER
Anxiety disorder is an umbrella term used for a group of mental disorders whose physical symptoms are restlessness, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, muscle tension, sweating, and dry mouth. All of which are caused by the release of hormones called cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones prepare our brain for a situation that requires fighting or fleeing.
So when our brain is constantly exposed to online data, it is overwhelmed, and the stress starts releasing cortisol and adrenaline, giving rise to these symptoms. We often feel anxious, and it’s normal, but the excessive influence of media can trigger these emotions to become a full-fledged disorder. You invite yourself to a situation where you respond to everything with fear and dread.
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SLEEP DISTURBANCE
Sleep loss, irregular sleep patterns, and EDS (feeling sleepy during the day) are caused due to binge scrolling. The exposure to blue light can suppress melatonin secretion, which ultimately delays sleep onset.
Often, the nature of content causes arousal, which ultimately displaces sleep. Contents involving graphics and violence severely disrupt the sleep cycle.
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LACK OF FOCUS
Jumping from one app to another weakens our ability to concentrate. These repetitive attentional shifts and multitasking can impair executive functioning and thus irritate and frustrate you, making you unable to focus on something.
HOW TO OVERCOME NEGATIVE EMOTIONS?
Simple, doable practices can be implemented in our daily routine to slowly reduce the adverse effects of prolonged digital overstimulation.
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Create Strict Boundaries
Technology plays a huge role in our lives, and we cannot simply discard it. That being said, you can of course limit your screen time and expose yourself to a little, much-needed data, that wouldn’t overwhelm your brain with a lot to process. -
Digital Detoxing
Choose a day in a week, when you will ban the usage of devices, doesn’t matter if it's only for a few hours. This not only helps your brain to rejuvenate but also blesses you with the chance to live in the present, connect offline with people who make you happy. -
Curate your feed
Stop following accounts that bring you stress and discomfort. Surround yourself with feeds that uplift your mood, or educational content that nourishes instead of overburdening. -
Start a new hobby
Hobbies that keep you engaged and far from devices are the best possible sensory break. These can help you learn new things besides helping your brain relax. -
Seek professional help
People often expose themselves to content for prolonged hours to keep themselves in a delusion from where they emotionally stand. This might temporarily save you from dealing with the problems, but over time, you’re welcoming new problems.
It is necessary to reach out to psychiatric doctors in Siliguri, who understand your situation, counsel, and provide you with the care you need.
Final Thoughts
In a generation where protecting privacy is easier than protecting peace, it is important to take care of yourself. You are allowed to pause and log off. Additionally, it is important to remember that you can always seek help from the best psychiatrist in Siliguri when things get heavy.