5 expert tips for leveraging technology without losing your mind

From Instagram to tap-to-pay to ChatGPT-generated grocery lists, technology is optimizing the way we stay connected to others and even the mundane aspects of our daily lives. That means we spend a lot of time on our devices.

Americans spend an average of 5 hours and 16 minutes a day on their smartphones, according to a 2024 report from data management company Harmony Healthcare IT.

While we have to engage with all these technologies, whether at work or in our off-time, it can be difficult to fully participate in daily life. Especially as more and more algorithms are programmed to serve us content based on our specific interests.

But some researchers and experts are looking for a simple solution.

On a recent episode of 10% Happier with Dan Harris, Wisdom Ventures co-founder Soren Godamer shared suggestions for using technology “without losing your mind.”

Mr. Godamar is also the founder and organizer of Wisdom 2.0, a conference focused on how to be more mindful in modern society, and the author of the recently published book “The Essential: Discovering What Really Matters in an Age of Distraction.”

Here are five tips for staying intentional, grounded, and in control of your digital life.

Recognize the social media ‘game’: “There’s a game of how to keep our attention focused, always looking outside of ourselves,” Gordhammer said. “It takes fuel, and you have to pay attention to that fuel.” Stop stimulating your game by focusing your attention on what’s important, like spending time outdoors or spending quality time with loved ones, suggested Godamer. Add technology-free time to your daily routine. Set aside the first and last hour of your day for mindfulness, Godamer said. “Can we make the first hour a time that nourishes, sustains, heals, and regenerates us? And how do we spend the last hour of the day?” he said. You can adopt habits like taking a walk in the morning or dimming the lights in your home to relax before bed. Please forgive me for being bored. For brief moments when you’re sitting on the train or waiting in line at the store, Gordamer recommends sitting in silence instead of reaching for your phone, even if you’re bored. “I think it’s a beautiful habit to just walk when you’re walking, and just stand when you’re standing. When you go to the store to buy something, do you actually see the person buying it?” Think about what’s really important to you. “We know we have a finite number of heartbeats, but we never know when that heartbeat will end,” Godamer said. “What do you want to spend those heartbeats doing? And asking yourself that and thinking about death and impermanence, I think that’s the best motivation and living your life accordingly.” Do an experiment: Think about how you’re feeling and what you want in the moment you reach for your phone, Harris encouraged. Or try going one full day without monitoring your screen time, then the next day without your phone and writing down how you felt that day, Gordhammer suggested. Being curious about how we use technology can cause major problems in our relationship with technology.

Godamer said it’s important to remember that technology is not the driving force behind protecting our health, so we must resist the temptation of devices.

“You have to actually set aside time to meditate, time to go for a walk, time to go out with friends, because otherwise you can easily get lost in this game,” he said.

“And this game is not helping us.”

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