So many of us are longing to be able to co-exist happily with our devices, our email, and social media. But it can be challenging. In these times that we are living in - with anxiety and stress at an all-time high, millions of people in lockdowns or dealing with the impacts of the pandemic, on top of the normal everyday juggles we face – right sizing our relationship with technology can seem almost impossible.

There is sheer volume for one thing. Never in the history of the world has there been so much information to consume, and to keep up with. Anything you could possibly conceive of is available at the click of a button or a scroll of your fingertips. Clicking or scrolling can seem like the perfect distraction from stress and worry. It’s enticing but often also all-consuming and overwhelming.

And then there’s the addiction. The hit of dopamine we get every time we see that email alert, the like on our Instagram post, or a new message waiting in our voice mail, is like a tiny dose of crack that lights up parts of our brain that make us feel good for a moment - and makes us constantly want more.

We’re addicts. We don’t know what to do with ourselves.

So we scroll. Click. Like. Friend. Respond. It’s endless.

We just can’t help ourselves.

But in truth, we can. We can create a mindful relationship with technology that serves us instead of enslaving us. It is possible. To check emails only twice a day. To limit the amount of times you open the Instagram app on your phone instead of habitually checking it every time you pause. Of being discerning with the news feed and type and amount of media you consume – especially right now when over-consuming negative, toxic or misleading content can not only be overwhelming but deeply triggering and anxiety inducing for many.

It is possible to get control of information consumption and device usage, and it’s part of being clear on what serves us and the boundaries that keep us safe and well, mentally and emotionally. We get to choose what and how we use technology to support our lives, the way we want to live and how we want to interact with the world.

Set your intention, be selective, write it down, decide.

Take things off your phone. Turn off your email alerts, in fact turn off all alerts.

You decide when, where, how, how much. Take back control. Be discerning. You don’t have to be a slave to your devices. You can step out of the matrix. Use technology to support the life that you want to live and how you want to work. And always remember: You get to choose.

Written by Women Rising Founder, Megan Dalla-Camina.