Why should we be mindful with communication products?
Why are we focusing on the topic of mindfulness?
Quite simply, as a manufacturer of communication products - including smartphones - we see ourselves as having a responsibility and want to raise awareness for a healthy use of our products. After all, the "always-on" mentality often leads to an overload of stimuli and information, which can have health consequences. It is important to retain control over technology instead of being controlled by it. From an ecological point of view, the careful use of resources is just as important. Mindfulness is good for people and good for the planet.
Less is sometimes more
Are you sometimes surprised when your screen time shows you how much time you spend on your smartphone every day? No wonder, because we use these little all-rounders to communicate, inform, entertain and manage our everyday lives.
Make a contract with yourself and set yourself a time limit for your digital consumption. Or consciously give up your smartphone for a while and put it out of sight so that you are not distracted by constant notifications.
More personal appreciation for your loved ones
Take time to communicate with your loved ones. At home in a relaxed atmosphere, you can make calls with your cordless landline phone - without dead spots, but with low radiation and less power consumption than a smartphone thanks to ECO DECT. And much less distracting. You can also set up call forwarding from your smartphone to your landline phone and stay reachable. If you are out and about and want to have a mobile phone with you for security, you can use a GSM mobile phone to make calls or send text messages with ease. Pure telephony!
More quality of life for you
Think about what you want to spend more of your precious time on - either professionally or privately. Limit your digital use in general by doing something good for yourself that is not digital - go for a walk in nature, work in the garden, pursue your favourite hobby, do gymnastics, meditate or simply laze around - all without a mobile phone camera, WhatsApp or Google Maps. You'll see, it's really easy!
Digital decluttering:
10 resilience tips for personalised stress reduction
- Set clear goals: Define why you want to do a digital detox and what goals you want to achieve, be it stress reduction, increased productivity or a higher quality of life.
- Create a schedule: Plan when you will be offline and for how long. This can be a daily break, a weekend or even a whole week.
- Switch off notifications: Turn off unimportant notifications on your devices to minimise distractions.
- Set up technology-free zones: Define certain areas or times in your home as tech-free zones or moments, for example during mealtimes or before bedtime.
- Prioritise interpersonal interactions: Spend quality time with family and friends by encouraging real-life conversations and activities.
- Find analogue alternatives: Replace digital entertainment with analogue activities such as reading, playing board games or going for a walk.
- Switch off before going to bed: Avoid screens at least an hour before bedtime to improve sleep quality.
- Manage screen time: Use apps or in-built features on your devices to monitor and limit your screen time.
- Declutter your digital life: delete unused apps, organise files and unsubscribe from unnecessary emails to reduce digital clutter.
- Use technology consciously: After your digital detox, rethink your approach to technology and adopt healthier digital habits, such as setting time limits and generally using your smartphone more moderately.
Remember that a successful digital detox doesn't have to be implemented 100%. It's about finding a balance that works for you and helps you lead a healthier and more conscious life in the digital age.
The ecological component
Let's not kid ourselves: Communication/electronic products are resource-intensive in terms of raw materials and components. Many product components or even end products from other manufacturers are manufactured in distant countries, which means that the potentially long transport route also causes emissions. At Gigaset, we are committed to Germany as our production site, where we use certified materials, CO2-free green electricity and as little water as possible.
As a consumer, you have the choice of opting for a product "Made in Germany". By doing so, you are helping to reduce greenhouse gases through short transport routes and clean production - as well as helping the German economy.
For a long product life!
When buying electronic products, pay attention to the interchangeability of spare parts and repairability. The service life of a smartphone battery, for example, can be extended considerably by charging it correctly. With Gigaset smartphones, the user can replace the battery themselves if it runs low at some point. That is our standard for greater sustainability. And if a device really can no longer be repaired, use the numerous recycling options for old devices - such as the recycling services of our cooperation partner Closing the Loop - and support the circular economy and the reuse of valuable resources.
Practise doing without
Resources are also consumed when using communication products: Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube and co. consume vast amounts of electricity. Keeping the servers running consumes a lot of energy and releases a lot of CO2. According to the consumer advice centre, streaming a film for an hour is roughly equivalent to the emissions of a small car driving one kilometre. According to the consumer advice centre, moving images are "particularly energy-intensive" on the internet alongside websites, emails and social networks.
It is important to note that digitalisation and the use of smartphones bring many advantages, but conscious decisions must also be made in order to minimise the ecological footprint.
You can help too:
10 tips for environmentally friendly streaming
- Choose lower resolutions: Streaming content in higher resolutions (e.g. 4K) requires more bandwidth and energy. If you have the option, choose a lower resolution to reduce energy consumption.
- Use energy-saving modes: Many devices on which you stream have energy-saving modes. Activate these options to minimise energy consumption when you are not in a hurry to stream content.
- Use WLAN connections: If available, opt for WLAN as it often uses less energy than mobile connections.
- Download instead of streaming: If possible, download content instead of streaming it. Downloading consumes energy once, while repeated streaming consumes energy every time.
- Use environmentally friendly streaming services: Some streaming companies are increasingly focussing on renewable energy and environmentally friendly practices. Do your research and choose services that are committed to environmental protection and sustainability.
- Stop streaming when you don't need it: Streaming in the background continues to consume energy.
- Recycle and dispose of electronics properly: Make sure your electronic devices are disposed of properly - e.g. at the recycling centre - or recycled to minimise the impact on the environment.
- Limit usage time: Don't spend too much time streaming content. This not only limits your energy consumption, but can also reduce your overall exposure to external influences.
- Support environmental organisations: If you want to offset the environmental impact of your streaming, you can support organisations that promote environmental protection and sustainability.
- Use your own private power station: With a photovoltaic system on your roof or a balcony power station, you can generate your own green electricity from renewable sources. And it is best to consume electricity when there is a lot of renewable electricity in the grid: when there is sun and wind.
Remember that every small effort to reduce energy consumption can help reduce the environmental impact. It is advisable to make environmentally conscious choices when using streaming services.
Conclusion
Mindful use of smartphones is important for several reasons:
- Reducing distractions: Smartphones can easily become a distraction, especially in social situations, at work or while driving. Mindfulness when using smartphones helps to minimise these distractions and increase productivity and safety.
- Improve relationships: Constantly checking your smartphone in the presence of others can come across as rude and interfere with interpersonal communication. Mindfulness when using smartphones promotes respectful behaviour towards others and strengthens relationships.
- Reducing stress: The constant availability and constant flow of information offered by smartphones can lead to stress. Mindfulness when using a smartphone can help to reduce this stress by consciously taking breaks and not constantly checking the screen.
- Promoting mental health: Excessive use of smartphones, especially in the evening hours, can impair sleep and negatively affect mental health. Mindfulness can help reduce screen time and develop a healthier relationship with digital technology.
- Environmental impact: The production and disposal of smartphones has an impact on the environment. Mindful use of these devices can help extend the lifespan of smartphones and reduce e-waste.
Overall, mindful use of smartphones is about making more conscious decisions about how and when to use these devices to minimise the impact on our own lives, relationships with those around us and the environment. It's about being in control of technology rather than being controlled by it.
