Written By Zoe
In the digital media age, we are inevitably overwhelmed by the flood of information. This has brought a rise in mental health issues in our society, such as anxiety and depression.
On the other side of the coin, though, the double-edged sword of technology also brings better tools to enhance mental health. Digital media can leverage its accessibility in shaping our perceptions, thus providing personalized support to individuals going through a maze of mental and emotional turbulence.
This article will walk us through how digital media can enhance our mental health, both in terms of psychological and physical support.
I. Psychological Exercises
Mindfulness and meditation encourage people to revisit and reflect on their experiences without judgment. They are often used in professional mental healing processes.
You do not necessarily have to do these things only during therapy. Many digital tools have been developed with professional methodology. They can meet diverse needs and preferences, providing various access to mental health support.
- Mindfulness and Meditation
- Both mindfulness and meditation encourage reflection on one’s experiences without judgment.
- Aura is an award-winning app that allows access to the world’s largest community of world-class coaches and therapists. On top of that, it is also called the ‘Spotify of mindfulness’ – Aura offers short, three-minute personalized meditations every day. Whether looking for professional help or lightweight use for everyday life, Aura can give you a hand.
- Records and Expressive Writing
- Brief records or expressive writing can provide a safe outlet for identifying feelings. In addition, it gives an extra perspective to cognitively process emotions by reviewing them in different forms. Whether it is a lengthy reflection or a brief markup, the purpose has been accomplished as long as there is a daily memo of feelings, thoughts, and experiences.
- Expressive writing is usually journaling. Many note-taking apps can help to take notes quickly regardless of time, place, and device, such as Notion, Obsidian, or even the memo that comes with your phone. If you want to spend only a little bit of time on it, simply marking your daily status can be a valuable action. Daylio provides short mood markers; you only need to spend 10 seconds a day to celebrate your status, and then you can get a summary and assessment of your status after a period.
II. Physical Exercise
Anxiety and depression connect to various physical changes within the brain. In many cases, bad moods are not from your mental or emotional perceptions but the various neurochemical imbalances. For example, imbalances in the neurochemicals such as Serotonin and Dopamine can cause problems with reward and pleasure mechanisms in the brain.
Fortunately, physical conditions have more than just negative impacts on the mood. We can make a positive impact with specific behaviours. Especially with the help of the wide variety of digital media, exercise can do a better job of having a positive effect on our mental health.
- Using a Step Counter
- Combined with pedometers, various devices can track physical activity and analyze data. This can provide motivation and a sense of accomplishment. In addition, analyzing can optimize exercise habits with the user’s patterns identified.
- Many devices come with a daily activity logging feature, such as “Google Fit” for Android or “Fitness +” for iOS. Additionally, the “Pacer Pedometer & Step Tracker” offers step tracking and group challenges, providing both functional support and social connection.
- AR Assistant
- Digital media devices can also enhance physical exercises with gamification.
- There are many apps to make activities more entertaining, thus increasing motivation for physical activity. Fitness Ring on the Switch platform or the popular app “Pokémon GO” are some of the successful products.
In summary, digital media provides an invaluable opportunity to promote mental and physical practices aimed at improving and maintaining mental health. Especially in the current society, digital platforms have shown terrific value as a bridge connecting individuals to specialized knowledge, community support, and self-development tools. In the future, digital media will undoubtedly continue to develop and improve their methods, opening new possibilities and pathways for mental health enhancement.
Reference
- Haidt, J., & Allen, N. (2020). Scrutinizing the effects of digital technology on mental health.
- Latha, K., Meena, K. S., Pravitha, M. R., Dasgupta, M., & Chaturvedi, S. K. (2020). Effective use of social media platforms for promotion of mental health awareness. Journal of education and health promotion, 9.