Like most people my day is consumed with the use of technology, from emails, to social media, to charting, blogging, texting, even when cooking I often am following a recipe I found on Instagram. It leaves me feeling mentally scattered, constantly switching from one task to another but never feeling fully present? I am guessing you can relate.
Many women I work with come to me after being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult or experiencing brain fog that they assumed was due to hormonal changes. While hormones do play a role, I’ve observed that many women continue to struggle even with optimized estrogen levels.
This brings us to an emerging and controversial concept: digital dementia, also called digital amnesia or the Google effect. It refers tocognitive decline—difficulty with focus, memory, and mental flexibility—associated with excessive technology use. Research suggests that frequent smartphone use can impair attention and working memory, making us less mentally agile and more prone to fatigue and forgetfulness.
But I literally cannot do my job without the use of technology, it an essential part of our lives. We rely on it for work, staying connected, and even managing our health. But as helpful as it is, it also competes for our attention in countless ways, fragmenting our focus and subtly stressing our brains. Even the sight of a phone—yours or someone else’s—acts as a persistent reminder of unfinished tasks, unread messages, and to-do lists. Over time, this can contribute to mental fog, irritability, and burnout.
So, what can we do? The goal isn’t to abandon technology but to build a balanced relationship with it. Here are a few ways to combat digital disorientation:
• Create intentionaltech breaks. Block off two hours twice a week to step away from screens.Leave your phone at home and spend time outside—hiking, gardening, or simplysitting in the sun. Resist the urge to fill the silence with music or apodcast. In Japan doctors often prescribe forest bathing. The concept is almosttoo simple, go outside, listen, see and feel.
• Learn to be alone withyour thoughts. Boredom and quiet moments help reset the brain and enhancecreativity. Try sitting by yourself for one hour without anything to do. Afteran hour, journal about what comes up.
• Keep your phone out ofthe bedroom. Don’t use it as an alarm clock—invest in a traditional alarminstead. If you look around there are some cool ones out there to wake you uppeacefully to the sound of singing bowls or has graduated lights. Make it wantyou want it to be!
• Limit notifications.Review your settings and disable non-essential alerts. Every buzz or badgepulls you into a cycle of distraction.
At first, reducing screen time is likely to feel uncomfortable—evenanxiety-inducing. But with time, your brain will adapt, and you will find thatyou feel clearer, calmer, and more present in your daily life.
Let’s start a conversation—have you noticed changes in your focus ormemory? Have you tried cutting back on screen time? I’d love to hear yourthoughts. Email me at mindy@hummingbirdhealthcare.comWant to book an appointment so we can work together one on one? You canschedule online here https://www.optimantra.com/optimus/patient/patientaccess/servicesall?pid=NFBIT24rRmJWY25uVkpPaUkzNUtkQT09&lid=N1hkaVgyNEdpVjhWQlRsZE9pcmQ1Zz09
