Switch off this Christmas

The latest research shows that on average, us Kiwis spend up to 18 hours a week on our mobile phones, that’s a lot of scrolling through Christmas selfies!

This Christmas, we’re suggesting stopping the scrolling temporarily, to enjoy special moments with family and friends. Look, sometimes you need to hibernate from the extended family with the latest Netflix series, and sometimes you need to, dare we say it, switch off.

You might think you don’t need time away from your devices, but have you checked how much time you actually spend on your phone? You might be surprised, checking all those notifications really adds up!

There are a number of free apps available which monitor your smartphone usage, the latest iPhone software update even has ‘screen time’ built into its settings where you can schedule in downtime and limit time spent on certain apps.

Another surprising figure is that six out of ten of us check work emails over the holidays. There’s a reason out of office exists, we implore you to use it!

All we’re saying is, it could be good to recharge your own batteries this holiday season, and at least put your internet time to good use.

Here’s our top tips for staying mindful whilst online this Christmas:

Family movie night

Superfast broadband is awesome for streaming content to multiple devices, but there’s something pretty special about snuggling up on the couch with bowls of popcorn and enjoying a movie with the family. (Disclaimer - we are not responsible for the choosing, and lengthy debate, about which movie!)

Games get together

Remember how awesome the Wii was when it first came out? That was 2006, which means it’s pretty much retro now. Dust off the Wii remote, get some mates over and have a virtual game of bowling – it’s a cheap night in that’s guaranteed to be a good laugh.

Switch off

We promise we’re not trying to go out of business, we just know that Christmas, as much as it is fun, can also be stressful, and sometimes that calls for putting down your devices and giving yourself some time to recharge.

Shut down the laptop, switch off your phone (if this seems too anxiety inducing, maybe start small by putting it on silent or DND, baby steps!) and take some time for you. This could mean going for a walk, catching up with a mate or going to visit your auntie. Trust us, there’ll still be plenty of Christmas selfies tomorrow…