The COVID-19 pandemic has changed every aspect of our lives, particularly how we communicate with everyone in our lives. With social distancing in effect, some folks are working at home and taking virtual classes, while others are still in their classrooms and workspaces. This isn’t easy, especially given all the other hardships COVID-19 has brought. No matter what your situation looks like though, it’s easy to see that we are all relying on technology more than we were before. While technology is a great tool, it can also create problems. Here are some healthy ways to communicate with technology during this time. 

Find What Works For You

Everyone has different communication styles. Maybe the most important thing you can do for yourself is to think about situations in which you’re most productive, and feel the most connected with your colleagues. Ask yourself when you feel most comfortable. Do you thrive in zoom meetings, but struggle with writing emails? Or would you prefer to use messaging apps like Slack and GroupMe, but struggle with phone calls! Focus on your strengths, and try to use these to your advantage. This is the first step to finding which healthy ways to communicate with technology work for you.

Advocate For Yourself

Once you know what works for you, then you can begin to advocate for yourself. If you prefer video calls over phone calls, then maybe you can try requesting video calls in the future while setting up remote meetings. If you prefer emailing to talking on the phone, give out your email before you give out your phone number. You could even communicate your discovery about what works best for you to your colleagues so that they know the best way to reach you. Advocating for yourself about what works for you can even help you have a better relationship with yourself. For more information about having a better relationship with yourself, check out this Safe Harbor link. 

Overcoming Difficulties

Once you know what doesn’t work naturally for you, you can figure out how to cope with it. Maybe you don’t like phone or zoom calls, and they make you feel uncomfortable. You could try thinking of your phone or zoom calls as exposure therapy. Exposure therapy is exposing yourself to something anxiety-inducing so that you get used to it and it no longer makes you anxious. Find more information about exposure therapy here. Another tip is to prepare as much as you can for a phone or zoom call beforehand. Set up your space so you have everything you need once you’re on the call. Prepare talking points and questions you have for other people you’ll be interacting with. 

Another way to overcome your difficulties is to practice in a more comfortable setting first. If you have phone anxiety, maybe practice getting comfortable talking to someone you know well on the phone before you have a big phone call for work. If you get more comfortable talking with a friend on the phone, then you’re more likely to have success with a phone call in a more professional or academic setting. For more ideas for overcoming difficulties, check out this article. 

Manage Your Notifications

If you feel you’re getting too many notifications, try to reduce them! Unsubscribe from email lists you don’t care about, or turn off notifications from apps you don’t use often. If need be, utilize the do not disturb or silent functions on your phone. Getting interrupted every few minutes by your personal phone can be a hassle, and can interrupt your work flow. Remember that healthy communication can actually mean less communication, especially when that communication is about something unimportant! 

Limit Time on News and Social Media

Other healthy ways to communicate include limiting time on news and social media websites. The information on these websites can be overwhelming, especially now. Reading too much bad news, or comparing your situation to others through social media can cause problems, and increase your screen time! You don’t have to cut out news and social media completely. It’s important to know what’s going on in the world, but it may be beneficial right now to limit the time you spend looking at news and social media sites. If you feel as though you’re using social media to connect with others right now, keep in mind that keeping in touch with people via messaging and calling will likely be much more fulfilling than just looking at people’s posts. These types of communication will lead to those better, more personal connections that we’re all missing out on because of social distancing practices. 

Give Yourself Work/School Hours

More healthy ways to communicate include limiting the time you spend working or doing schoolwork. Many people feel as though they are constantly working right now. Since we are near our computers and cell phones all the time, many of us feel as though we are always on call. This article explains how different people are struggling with this, and 18% of people feel as though they can’t unplug. One way to combat this is to decide when you’re going to be done with work or school. Traditionally, our days end when we leave the office, but now when we work from home this no longer is the case. Decide what time you’re going to log off and be done for the day, and communicate this to your colleagues if necessary, so they know only to reach out to you in emergencies. 

Take Breaks

It is so easy to sit down in the morning, and be so busy that you work straight through the day. However, working through the day without taking breaks can cause problems. This is especially true for those working at home who may not have left their homes all day. Make sure to get up from your workspace, and take a break from technology and your work. Don’t look at your screens for a few minutes, and walk around, get some water, or stretch your legs. Many different studies have shown that taking breaks actually increases your productivity throughout the day. This is the case whether you have a job or if you’re a student. 

Photo by Djurdjica Boskovic on Unsplash

Conclusion

Many of us feel like we have very little control of our lives right now, but that doesn’t have to be the case with technology. If you still feel like technology is controlling you, click here for more help. There are many different healthy ways to communicate with technology, so make sure to practice these things today! For more help with improving your general communication skills, check out this Safe Harbor article, and for more information about hardships associated with COVID-19, check out this Safe Harbor link. Remember to be proud of how hard you are working, and how you’re adapting to this tough situation! 

Written by Jackie Ebel, blogger at Safe Harbor International Ministries. For more articles, check out our blog page at https://safeharborim.com/articles/