Cancerwise

Spending too much time looking at your phone, tablet or laptop? You’re not alone. Excessive screen time is a problem for many of us. But for cancer patients and their loved ones, the urge to zone out with a screen may be even harder to resist.

Why? Because often, you’re already feeling worn down and looking for reasons to be hopeful.

So, how do you cut back on screen time if you’re mentally and emotionally exhausted and don’t really want to live in the moment? 

Try these seven tips.  

Start by examining your motivations

People use devices to check out mentally for any number of reasons. Sometimes, it’s because they’re bored. Others, it’s because they’re feeling anxious or lonely.

Whatever your motivations might be, take a few minutes to unpack them occasionally as a part of your mental health care routine. The following questions can help get you started:

• How much time do I normally spend looking at a screen (not for work)? 
• When do I typically do this? 
• How do I feel when I first reach for my phone or tablet? 
• How do I feel while I’m looking at it? 

Plan ahead to give yourself alternatives

The answers may give you some valuable insights into your behavior. And, once you know which feelings you’re dealing with — and what situations trigger them — you can start taking steps to handle them more productively. 

If you tend to get bored while waiting to see the doctor, for instance, bring a novel, some magazines or a puzzle book to your next office visit to help pass the time.

If you get stressed out while waiting for scan or blood test results, on the other hand, close your eyes and meditate for a few minutes, or slip on some headphones, breathe deeply and relax to the sounds of your favorite playlist.  

If you just feel lonely when you’re at MD Anderson by yourself, ask a friend or loved one to join you for your next appointment. Bring a deck of cards or a magnetic mini-gameboard and play something — or just spend the time visiting and catching up.

The reason most people reach for their phones is simple: it’s easy. So, plan ahead and give yourself a different ‘easy’ button to push — one that won’t stress you out even further.

Understand the urge to doomscroll

As a species, we are wired to try to “figure things out.” Thanks to the digital revolution, that process usually involves a screen. Until now, though, we’ve never had access to this much information — and misinformation — all at once. Our brains and bodies simply cannot handle it sometimes and go into a state of overload. 

Another problem is that people who are doing really well on cancer treatment don’t tend to go online and post about it. They just go quietly about living their lives. So, there’s already an inherently negative bias in that space. When you see bad news, your first impulse is usually to dive deeper, too. “Maybe just one more article,” the thinking goes. “If I keep looking, I just know I’ll find something that makes me feel better.” In a way, it’s very similar to a gambling addiction. 

Unfortunately, we’re even more likely to behave this way when we’re feeling anxious or dealing with chronic stress. But because of how the internet and algorithms are set up, if you keep pushing forward, you’re more likely to encounter negative things than positive ones. And that can really send you spiraling down the rabbit hole.