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Ah, the holiday season—a time for joy, celebrations, and, let’s face it, a touch of chaos! Whether you’re juggling finals, grading, or end-of-year projects, this busy time can leave everyone feeling frazzled. But with a few changes to our tech habits, we can create a season that’s both productive and balanced. Here are some strategies to help any high school and college student, parent, or staff member stay digitally well while racing to the year's end.
1. Tame the Emails: Tools for Balance
Between last-minute deadlines, sale emails (click bait galore!), and holiday invites, email can feel overwhelming. A tool like Inbox When Ready (a Chrome extension) can help by letting you hide your inbox except at scheduled times. It even adds a signature informing others about your digital wellness goals (because new habits are always better when others join us). Bonus tip: Unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters—a task everyone in the family can tackle together!
2. Clear the Tab Clutter: Use OneTab
If you’re staring at dozens of open tabs—assignments, holiday shopping, recipe ideas, projects to complete, travel planning—it’s time to simplify. OneTab consolidates all your open tabs into a single list, reducing visual noise and helping you stay focused. Great for students working on final projects, teachers preparing grades, or parents planning holiday festivities!
3. Protect Your Eyes (and Mind): The 20-20-20-20 Rule
Try this simple rule: Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds, and take 20 steps to refresh your body. I like to add in standing up and walking for those 20 seconds. Need a futher reset during the chaos? Add mindful breathing to reduce stress. These small habits can help everyone—from teens late night gaming (stress relief, procrastination, laughter release or just bonding...it's OK!) to teachers glued to spreadsheets at the end of term (I see you and remember it well).
4. Embrace Tiny Habits with Big Impact
Start with simple shifts:
Leave your phone behind during breaks.
Avoid checking it first thing in the morning, or last thing before bed; instead, list three things you’re grateful for.
End the day by reflecting on something positive that happened.
Save yourself the stress that can come with gifting phones by reading this first.
For students and staff managing deadlines, tiny habits like these can reduce stress and build resilience.
5. Set Boundaries for Digital Communication
Overloaded with late-night texts, emails, or messages? It’s time for boundaries. Communicate your availability with coworkers, friends, or family...seriously. They won't know what you're trying to do until you advocate for yourself and inform others. It took my team a bit to realize how much better this all worked for me, and I explained it along the way so that they could either join me or support me. For companies and schools, consider setting policies like no after-hours emails unless it’s urgent. Gentle reminders can create a culture of respect and wellness. And set those vacation auto responders!
6. Use Tech to Create Holiday Memories
Holiday Movie Nights: Stream movies as a family or dorm group, with picks from everyone (check out my Instagram calendar for ideas!).
Virtual Cooking Adventures: Explore recipes together through YouTube tutorials or blogs. I'm a recipe junkie...and I'm pretty sure my friends and family appreciate how much I test them out!
Digital Greetings: Craft custom e-cards with platforms like Canva (I'm a bit obsessed with Canva...it all started in my classroom) to spread cheer far and wide. It’s fun, creative, and eco-friendly!
This season, aim for more than just surviving the digital hustle. By trying some of these strategies, you can stay productive, balanced, and connected during one of the busiest times of the year.
Happy Holidays!
Heather
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