Turns out, sometimes the best wellness hack is simply doing less.

Despite an influx of expensive gadgets and rigid routines promising us better mental wellbeing, sleep, and everything else, there’s a free wellness habit people are finally buying into. 

We know, we know. We’re not exactly reinventing the wheel or reporting on a brand-new discovery (again, shout-out to our parents). But recently, more attention has been paid to our screen time. We’re even starting to share our successes in group chats (and our not-so-great achievements, with some reaching 12+ hours) spent tapping away on our phones.

But according to Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser for IQdoctor, incorporating a small, sustainable break into everyday life, rather than attempting an unrealistic total screen ban, could work wonders for our wellbeing.

“I would generally frame it as a reset of our habits rather than a detox, because screens are now an unavoidable and often useful part of work, education, communication, and everyday life,” Dr Wylie shared. “The important question is therefore less about achieving an arbitrary number of screen-free hours and more about whether screen use is beginning to displace things that are important for our physical and mental health, such as sleep, exercise, social interaction, time outdoors, and proper rest.”

The obvious one is relieving mental fatigue, eye discomfort, and headaches, Dr Wylie suggests, but it can also encourage us to move our bodies and step away for some much-needed fresh air and exercise – even if it’s just for 10 minutes a time.

“Sleep is another particularly important reason to consider a reset, especially if someone has got into the habit of scrolling, watching programmes or checking messages late into the evening,” she continues.

“NHS advice similarly recommends avoiding smartphones and screens in the hour before sleep when tiredness or sleep problems are an issue, and for children, keeping screens out of the bedroom and switching them off around an hour before bedtime can be particularly helpful,” she adds.

Similarly, while it’s human nature for most of us to wake up and immediately reach for our phones, she advises avoiding them for the first 20-30 minutes of the day, and instead, “open the curtains, have some water or breakfast, wash and dress, stretch, go outside briefly or simply start the day without immediately exposing yourself to a stream of notifications and social media.”

Finally, Dr Wylie advises: “If excessive screen use is accompanied by persistent insomnia, significant anxiety or low mood, headaches or visual symptoms, or is interfering substantially with work, relationships or daily functioning, I would recommend looking at the underlying problem rather than simply prescribing more screen-free time.”

Additional thumbnail photo credits: Aree Sarak/fizkes (iStock)