Learning to Relax Can Be Life-Changing

Relaxing has become increasingly difficult in a digital world full of distractions, leaving many people unsure of how to truly unwind.

Many turn to lazing on the couch in front of the TV while simultaneously scrolling social media apps on their phones, according to a report in The Guardian.

“Most people in the UK are dependent on their digital devices and need a constant connection to the internet,” the news site reported, based on a study conducted by Ofcom. The study found that 78% of all people in the U.K. have a smartphone — including 95% of young adults aged 16 to 24. Those devices are checked an average of once ever 12 minutes.

Instead, the site recommends some internal reflection in order to identify different ways of occupying your time that will leave you feeling reinvigorated.

“I think back to how I liked to pass the time when I was young; the quiet times sitting reading a book, the rowdier times baking with friends,” the author notes. “I resolve to make more time to do the adult versions of these things over the next year – then realize I am making excuses. If I could redirect the evenings I am already wasting on screens, that would be a good start.”