The Power Of No

Could one little word change your digital life? It’s highly likely, especially if you’re a yes person who finds it hard to create boundaries. At Time To Log Off, we encourage you to lead a life that’s not dominated by technology, so here are four simple ways to build your digital wellbeing and take back control of your screen time by just saying “no”.

Say no to random friends

Facebook can be a great tool for hooking up with friends from the past. But should you accept friend requests from people you don’t know? Unless you have a common interest, or you’re mildly famous, the simple answer is no.

Why would you let a complete stranger into your life? Facebook reveals personal details like your age, where you live, and this ‘new friend’ will also be able to scroll through your photos and follow your movements – yes, a bit like a stalker. So, just press ‘delete request’.

You don’t know this person and you don’t owe them an explanation. Saying no is lot less hassle than ‘unfriending’ them later on.

Say no to a WhatsApp group

They tyranny of What’s App groups can be exhausting. How can so few people send so many messages? Or is it that you have have been sucked into dozens of What’s App groups that are no use to you? Time to say no.

It might be cyber space, but there are still social rules to follow. You could bow out with a polite message such as: “I’m sorry but X (work schedule/family issues/new puppy) means that I’ll have to sign off from the group for now” and leave it at that.

The other option is to leave the group early in the morning – no one is likely to notice! If people keep adding you, just keep removing yourself. You’re saying a silent no, eventually they will get the message.

Say no to competitive selfies

Taking too many selfies is now classed as a genuine mental health disorder. Honestly. So, ask yourself – do I need to take this photo? How is it benefiting me and my digital wellbeing?

For every posed selfie take two natural pictures. Look at these images and remind yourself that most (if not all) of the images posted on social media are staged, filtered – and fake. Are you a fake? Do you want a fake life?

Try having one selfie-free day a week and build this up to two or three days if you can. No one is saying stop taking selfies forever, just don’t take them 10x a day, every day.

Say no to banners and notifications

If you find yourself being drawn to a particular website you want to avoid, the obvious thing is to block the banners using your notifications settings. You could also put your phone on silent and out of sight, for some downtime, so if alerts pop up once you’ve left a site you won’t know. The urge to re-log on will have passed by the time you reconnect with your phone.

Any other ideas for how you can say no and take back your life from your phone? Let us know!