Lifestyle

10 LIFESTYLE

Are Digital Detoxes the Way Forward?

REBECCA DE SÁ | CONTENT WRITER

‘Social media damages teenagers’ mental health, report says’, ‘Social media and the law: could your next tweet get you in trouble?’, ‘Is social media killing intellectual humility?’. These are just a handful of recent headlines centered around the infuence of social media and technology in society. Technology has become such an integral part of our lives. In today’s day and age there is really no need to leave the house. At the click of a button, groceries, entertainment, education, and social interaction can all be delivered without a person ever having to leave their sofa. There is no denying that the growing dependence on technology has severely distorted our perception of the world. And in this multi-media age a deep sense of isolation and claustrophobia is inevitable. Technology is great. There are no two ways about it. But a constant reliance on it is what leads a lot of people into a social media addiction, and this can have a detrimental effect on mental health, interactions in real-life, and perceptions of self. So, it is no wonder that more and more people are now choosing to live their lives a little less in the limelight through deleting all their social media accounts. In fact, many are even opting to trade in their fashy smartphones for more prehistoric, less adaptive, models. Digital detoxing has immensely grown in popularity over the last year, with many infuencers accrediting their positive outlook on life to regular breaks from social media. But what exactly constitutes a digital detox and what are the other benefts of it?

As the name suggests, a digital detox refers to a period of time when a person will abstain from using technology, or if this is not possible, at least all social media. ‘Detoxing’ in this way is said to help a person focus better on real life priorities.

If frequent productivity slumps sound familiar, then a digital detox could signifcantly improve levels of concentration. The distractions of the virtual world can be highly time consuming. Taking time away from technology will help a person to reassess their priorities and focus more on the things that they need to get done. Technology has a major infuence on quality sleep. Avoiding screens, especially before bed, will signifcantly improve a person's sleep cycle which will generally lead to better mood and health. Taking frequent scheduled breaks away from social media has been shown to reduce a person's stress levels. By living life in the here and now, people can begin to appreciate the little things around them that are often glossed over. Technology and the world of social media are extremely powerful tools, if harnessed correctly. Practicing mindfulness when it comes to engaging with the virtual world will ensure that damaging habits have a better chance of getting curbed. Digital detoxing offers a simple way to remind a person of the distinction between online and real. Having this time away from technology is vital for a balanced outlook on life.

Source: OpenClipArt

The Benefts of

Owning a Rice Cooker

ANNA MORENO | CONTENT WRITER

Being a student often means you may not always have time to cook a proper, nutritious meal. You may fnd that as your schedule gets busier throughout the year, you are ordering a lot of takeaways, or putting pizza in the oven twice a week. Microwave meals can also be quite expensive. To save some money in the long term, consider investing in a rice cooker. You may fnd that cooking nutritious meals is a lot easier and you do not have to stress about your dinner so often. While rice cookers can be quite expensive, they are useful item to have in the kitchen. Here are fve benefts of owning a rice cooker.

1. It can save a lot of time As previously mentioned, one of the main benefts of owning a rice cooker is that it cooks automatically. Unlike pasta, which you may have to supervise, the rice cooker will cook by itself and turn off automatically when the food is done. This means you can wash your rice, put it in the rice cooker, and leave the kitchen to complete any tasks in the meantime while your dinner cooks by itself. Rice cookers are perfect for students and busy working individuals.

2. You can save some money If you are a fan of rice, you can invest in a big bag of Japanese or Taiwanese rice and store it away to use all year round. This may save you some money if you fnd yourself needing to restock your pasta or smaller rice packets. There is no need to buy a big expensive rice cooker either. There are many different sizes, and you can get an affordable mini rice cooker which is perfect for one person.

3. You can cook everything at once

Sometimes it can be tedious to prepare all your dinner ingredients separately. With a rice cooker, you can put all your ingredients in at once. A lot of rice dishes may also include a boiled egg, for instance. You can boil your egg inside the rice cooker simply by rinsing the outer shell and placing it in your cooker. You can also cook raw vegetables and thin pieces of meat such as fsh and chicken. Be careful to make sure it is all cooked at a safe temperature to prevent food poisoning. It can help to slice some of the chicken to ensure it is cooked thoroughly. Also, be careful not to cross-contaminate with foods that will not be cooked. If you are unsure, you can always leave the meat out and cook it separately but keep the vegetables in the cooker for easy dinner preparation.

4. You can use it for other dishes too

Rice cookers do not just need to be used for rice. It is possible to bake cakes or cook pancakes using a rice cooker. On a cold day, you can also use it to make congee. You can also cook pasta in it by adding the correct amount of water. This way, you can cook pasta without needing to supervise it on the hob, as well as bake delicious, sweet treats for you and your housemates.

5. The food is kept warm and tends to be healthier

There is no need to add oil when using a rice cooker, as it works by steaming the ingredients with the water you add. As the rice cooker acts as a slow cooker, your food will be cooked evenly throughout too. Once it is done cooking, you do not need to eat it straight away. The rice cooker will keep your food warm until you are ready to eat, if you make sure not to leave it overnight.

Source: Wikipedia

FOMO: Eradicating the Fear of Missing Out This Spring

CYANN FIELDING | LIFESTYLE EDITOR

The Fear of Missing Out is not an irrational fear. Everyone gets it from time to time. It is perfectly normal to feel it, but the great answer is that it can be addressed. Quite easily. The Fear of Missing Out is quite a real fear for third years; splitting time between university deadlines and socialising can be tricky. But it does not have to be.

1. Forget Planning

You might be thinking, ‘this is crazy’, but planning sometimes is counterproductive. When following a long list of things to do in a day, undoubtedly the day closes with it left unfnished, resulting in a real mood dampener. Lists can be useful sometimes, for example, to add structure to a day to ensure productivity. But when it comes to several deadlines emerging, and socialising battling against each other all you need to worry about is trying your best to make the most of your days. This may be ‘planning’ to go to library at 10am, but not specifying what to do when there. This allows freedom to do what you feel like doing when in the library, and ensures no guilt about not doing the thing you said you would do. If there is something you particularly do not want to do, then do it frst – but do not plan to spend a set amount of time on it. Just work on it until you are confdent with the amount of work completed, or until you fnd yourself becoming burnout, distracted, or bored (these states of mind may lead to a poorer quality work). By the time the evening comes, enough work will have been completed to allow you to go on that night out that is supposed to be ‘really busy’.

2. Make sure you give yourself some YOU time.

Socialising is important, and so is work too, however, looking after personal well-being is just as important. Everyone must recharge their batteries at some point. So, make sure to set aside some time in the week to just relax, watch some Netfix, and take good care of yourself.

3. Make future plans

This might seem contradictory to the frst point, but this refers to the distant future, not nearby. This means booking a concert for the summer to look forward to, planning a holiday with friends, booking into watch a new flm at the cinema next month and so on. By doing this, there is something to always look forward to and remind you that you will be socialising in the future, and therefore not missing out on spending time with friends/family.

4. Just go to the SU/Medicine

Realistically, will you be doing any work after 9pm anyway? And what have you got on tomorrow? If your answer to these questions is ‘no’, and then ‘a lot’. Simply practice selfrestraint, go out and enjoy yourself, but maybe come home earlier, drink less, or stop drinking at a certain time. Not only is this great for money saving, but offers a break from university work, whilst fulflling time spent with friends and having fun. Ultimately, there will be things you will not be able to do/attend, but when this does happen it is how you respond to it that prevents you from feeling like you are missing out. If you wanted to go to Toast, but had an important 9am the next day, plan to go out on the Wednesday or the Friday. Or possibly two for Tuesday at the Packhorse. Or perhaps you wanted to go into London at the weekend but cannot now because university deadlines are fast approaching. Instead, plan a date the following month when you are free to go into London. Missing out is not just about being with other people, but also about doing things you have wanted to do on your own. So, remember: spend time alone, with friends and on work, but do not stress the fner details of how much time, or whether that time socialising was supposed to be used doing university. After all, you can just rearrange schedules.