As the pandemic continues to take a toll on people’s mental and digital well-being, Google organized a Well-Being Day with a discussion led by Ronald Del Castillo, PsyD, MPH of Diwa Mental Health. Other speakers included Geia Lopez from Google, and YouTube creators Janina Vela, Lyqa Maravilla and Madam Ely. Rewatch the event on Google Ph’s YouTube channel.

Here are tips to help protect your mental and digital well-being:

Try journaling. Feeling overburdened? Write down your positive experiences. Using pen and paper can help slow down your mind as it will follow the pace of your writing hand.

“25 on, 5 off.” Work for 25 minutes straight followed by a five-minute break throughout the day. Do this four to five times then take a longer break for 15 minutes. With this technique, you can be productive and less stressed on a busy day.

Take deep breaths. Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique which involves breathing in for four seconds, holding your breath for seven seconds, and exhaling for eight seconds through the mouth.

Practice doing nothing. There is value in spending time in silence, nature and not engaging in constant external stimulation.

Have healthier arguments. Dr. Del Castillo says this means using “I” rather than “you” statements. Don’t call each other names, focus on the issue, offer a solution, check your voice tone, listen and take turns.

Set bite-sized goals, not mouthful chunks. Break down big tasks to small ones and set realistic deadlines. Making small yet progressive strides is efficient and can give a sense of accomplishment while reducing stress levels.

Find a balance with technology. Google’s Digital Well-Being tools can help you be more aware of your digital habits. Its Dashboard feature tells you how often you check your phone and how frequently you use apps. You can set limits with daily app timers which can pause apps or websites for the day.

Minimize phone use. Minimize distractions by asking Google Assistant to do simple tasks like checking the time without having to hold your phone.

Focus when you need to. Through the Digital Well-Being’s Focus Mode, you can see which apps distract you the most and choose which ones you want to pause or take a break from.

Create a bedtime schedule and stick with it. With Digital Well-Being’s Bedtime mode, you can set a bedtime schedule that will automatically turn on the Do Not Disturb feature. It fades your screen to grayscale to prevent bright colors and light stimulating your brain when you need to shut down.

Get help when you need it. Google Search now instantly shows the National Center for Mental Health Crisis Hotline (tel. 0966-3514518) when a person types in related keywords to remind and prompt people to seek professional help during their vulnerable state.Visit wellbeing.google.