Ways to reduce anxiety & panic due to internet shutdown
Post by on Sunday, September 19, 2021
One of the most unreasonably annoying situations we experience on a daily basis is losing your internet connection. Technology is all around us, and cell phones have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Our phones are used as mobile computers to check email, shop online, read the news, download music and movies, participate on social media, order food, look at maps, and so on.
Smartphone users don't make traditional voice calls at all, despite the fact that mobile phones were built to facilitate phone calls on the go. We have the internet in our pockets at all times and can appear to find the solution to practically any query with a single click.That is the reason why people feel anxious and get panic if they don’t have an access to internet even for 3-4 days.It’s difficult for them to live these days without internet since technology is identical to any other addiction.
The internet is a great way to get rapid communication and information. It is extremely efficient for those chores, and there are frequently professional and personal duties that need being online for business or family.
However, if there are no limits to one's usage of the internet and internal and external social pressures to be connected and communicate through it, this can lead to excessive anxiety if the internet is unavailable due to any reason.
Many individuals expect others to be available on the phone or via email at all times, as well as to post on social media on a frequent basis. These kinds of expectations, combined with the fact that smartphone apps are designed to be highly addictive in order to boost user engagement, are a potent combination for creating an emotional and psychological dependence on the internet by making it difficult to get enough sleep, interrupting with daily life activities, inability to stick to schedules, mood changes, agitation and most importantly have an adverse effect on one's health or quality of life.
Here are some ways by which people can reduce their anxiety and panic about not having a working internet:
Write a letter instead of texting
The dread of losing contact with someone is one of the basic fears behind the worry of not having a working internet with us. Before smartphones, we had other options for communicating with others, such as writing letters or sending postcards.
Instead of checking social media in the morning, try a few minutes of deep breathing or meditation
By default, we gravitate to our phones to surf, but you can reduce your dependency to your phone by picking a different non-phone activity, such as deep breathing or basic concentrated meditation. It's also a more pleasant way to begin the day without tension and can lead to a healthy lifestyle indeed!
Set yourself goals of being away from your phone for longer periods of time
First, choose a time when you usually check social media or surf the web on your phone. Instead of being on your phone and using internet, read a magazine or book for one to two minutes or sketch a picture. Increase this time to five minutes, then ten minutes, and so on over the next few weeks. More purposeful time away from your smartphone will lower your dependence on it over time, as well as your worries of being without it.
Let your battery drain to zero – within reasonable& safe circumstances
Exposure treatment is a known and true approach for many anxiety problems, notably phobias. Are you concerned about a dead internet connection? While you're at home, try dealing with it. Sitting without access to your internet for longer lengths of time as it charges will demonstrate that you can live without it.
Don't go straight to your phone to look up every information
If you and your pals can't remember the name of that celebrity or movie during dinner and immediately go for your phone to look it up, wait, eat, and let everyone think about it afterwards. Not answering the question straight away is likely to spark some intriguing debates, and in the meantime, someone might have fun recalling it without the aid of a smartphone, by this way you can actually engage with your family members and spend quality time along with gaining knowledge about interesting facts.
Schedule more face-to-face time with family and friends
Another option is to develop new ways to communicate with people that aren't tied to texting or emailing. Instead, try spending more time with friends and family in person. You may decrease the fears of being without an internet by feeling more detached and independent from it — and perhaps even discover a sense of pleasure or joy from not being tethered to it all the time.
It's crucial to step away from your phone for at least a few minutes to realise that all is not lost if your internet goes down. It's healthy to set realistic limits for yourself and others when it comes to how accessible and connected you are to your phone.
Setting aside particular professional and personal duties that necessitate phone access, it's healthy to set acceptable boundaries around your own and other people's expectations for how accessible and connected you are to your phone, because your mental health and tranquilly come first.
