The Health of Engineers Demands Digital Detox
The Health of Engineers Demands Digital Detox
Engineers who spend their time thinking, analyzing, and imagining often find it hard to unwind. But there are steps they can take to initiate and manage a digital detox.
Many of us sleep next to our phones. We check our email first thing in the morning and go on to reach for our devices an average of 352 times a day—that’s once every two minutes and 43 seconds—before climbing into bed again, according to tech care company Asurion.
It is through technology that mechanical engineers make an impact in the world, so it can be more than a little bit challenging to get some distance from it outside of work hours.
“Work is such a huge part of my existence, and having a job where I can be plugged in is almost like a sporting event for me,” said Todd Nichols, a mechanical engineer at SimuTech Group based in Penfield, N.Y. “I really enjoy being well-connected and having people need me.”
Nick Want, a mechanical engineer based in Manchester, N.H., can relate: “When your job is a lot of thinking and understanding and analyzing and conceiving of things, your mind just goes all the time. It’s very hard to unwind. You can’t just turn your brain off.”
That may very well be, but being able to give the brain a break from technology is important both for mental and physical health. Research consistently shows that too much screen time can lead to poor sleep, eye strain, anxiety, depression, irritability, headaches, and pain in the neck, back, and shoulders, among other symptoms.
Yet it can be difficult—some may say nearly impossible—to reduce the amount of time spent online, despite the fact that research has also shown that disconnecting increases job satisfaction, decreases the risk of burnout, and soothes work-family tensions.
One related study published in 2023 in The Journal of Applied Psychology found that employees in high-pressure jobs feel heightened levels of shame after taking a break from being professionally productive—even after work hours.
As much as Nichols is committed to being professionally productive, he understands the value of switching his attention to his significant other and children. He adds that there is an “art to the delicate balance” of that switch for engineers like him who are accustomed to “very transactional conversations” with colleagues.
One tip he shares is to use mobile phone features that temporarily silence or block notifications.
“That’s really huge for minimizing the connection to work that’s never-ending,” he said.
Need help unplugging? Here are some other strategies for initiating and managing a digital detox:
Set screentime limits. If the idea of a full technology fast is too much to wrap your head around, start small, perhaps with the goal of being tech-free for 30 minutes a day. Add another half hour the next week and continue on from there.
Take bite-sized tech breaks. Those that involve physically or mentally stimulating engagement, such as taking a short walk or organizing your desk, have been shown to be more beneficial than longer, sedentary breaks.
Involve others. Challenges are much more fun—and easier to stomach—when shared. Invite a friend or family member to join your quest for more off-screen experiences and be accountable to each other.
Designate device-free zones. The car. The bathroom. The dinner table. (Want has a no-phone policy at mealtime.) Could it be a bit easier to get some distance from technology? If you don’t want zones to be tech-free at all hours, consider applying the designation to certain times of the day.
After recently transitioning some business to an offshore location in Thailand, Want now deals with a 12-hour time difference, which means some hourlong work calls don’t begin until 10 p.m. He frequently sends follow-up emails, a process that has him crawling into bed as late as 1 a.m.
Given that Want is only a couple of months into this 15-month contract, he must wrestle with the time difference for at least another year. He gives himself credit for “getting better” about dedicating time to family “and not having this job be all-consuming.” He often chooses not to respond to messages—especially Slack threads—until business hours unless they’re critical.
“It’s a decision to unplug and say, ‘I’m done for the day,’” Want said. “Hopefully, you want to work to live, not live to work.”
Robin L. Flanigan is an independent writer in Rochester, N.Y.
It is through technology that mechanical engineers make an impact in the world, so it can be more than a little bit challenging to get some distance from it outside of work hours.
Hard to unwind
“Work is such a huge part of my existence, and having a job where I can be plugged in is almost like a sporting event for me,” said Todd Nichols, a mechanical engineer at SimuTech Group based in Penfield, N.Y. “I really enjoy being well-connected and having people need me.”
Nick Want, a mechanical engineer based in Manchester, N.H., can relate: “When your job is a lot of thinking and understanding and analyzing and conceiving of things, your mind just goes all the time. It’s very hard to unwind. You can’t just turn your brain off.”
That may very well be, but being able to give the brain a break from technology is important both for mental and physical health. Research consistently shows that too much screen time can lead to poor sleep, eye strain, anxiety, depression, irritability, headaches, and pain in the neck, back, and shoulders, among other symptoms.
Yet it can be difficult—some may say nearly impossible—to reduce the amount of time spent online, despite the fact that research has also shown that disconnecting increases job satisfaction, decreases the risk of burnout, and soothes work-family tensions.
One related study published in 2023 in The Journal of Applied Psychology found that employees in high-pressure jobs feel heightened levels of shame after taking a break from being professionally productive—even after work hours.
As much as Nichols is committed to being professionally productive, he understands the value of switching his attention to his significant other and children. He adds that there is an “art to the delicate balance” of that switch for engineers like him who are accustomed to “very transactional conversations” with colleagues.
Ways to unplug
One tip he shares is to use mobile phone features that temporarily silence or block notifications.
“That’s really huge for minimizing the connection to work that’s never-ending,” he said.
Need help unplugging? Here are some other strategies for initiating and managing a digital detox:
Set screentime limits. If the idea of a full technology fast is too much to wrap your head around, start small, perhaps with the goal of being tech-free for 30 minutes a day. Add another half hour the next week and continue on from there.
Take bite-sized tech breaks. Those that involve physically or mentally stimulating engagement, such as taking a short walk or organizing your desk, have been shown to be more beneficial than longer, sedentary breaks.
Involve others. Challenges are much more fun—and easier to stomach—when shared. Invite a friend or family member to join your quest for more off-screen experiences and be accountable to each other.
Designate device-free zones. The car. The bathroom. The dinner table. (Want has a no-phone policy at mealtime.) Could it be a bit easier to get some distance from technology? If you don’t want zones to be tech-free at all hours, consider applying the designation to certain times of the day.
After recently transitioning some business to an offshore location in Thailand, Want now deals with a 12-hour time difference, which means some hourlong work calls don’t begin until 10 p.m. He frequently sends follow-up emails, a process that has him crawling into bed as late as 1 a.m.
Given that Want is only a couple of months into this 15-month contract, he must wrestle with the time difference for at least another year. He gives himself credit for “getting better” about dedicating time to family “and not having this job be all-consuming.” He often chooses not to respond to messages—especially Slack threads—until business hours unless they’re critical.
“It’s a decision to unplug and say, ‘I’m done for the day,’” Want said. “Hopefully, you want to work to live, not live to work.”
Robin L. Flanigan is an independent writer in Rochester, N.Y.
Related Content
The E-Bike Revolution is Altering the Bicycle Market
Feb 24, 2025
The most popular electric vehicle in the world is the electric bicycle, which has been engineered to amplify the advantages of its unpowered ancestor. Companies such as Cannondale, Trek, and LMX are leading the way.
Quiz: EV Growth Slowing, Not Stopped
Feb 21, 2025
As EV technology improves, most enthusiasts see recent executive orders and possible tax changes as mere bumps in the road to eventual massive industry growth.
5 Undersea Engineering Marvels
Feb 20, 2025
The ocean is a hostile environment. These five technologies were able to survive beneath the waves to set enduring records.
Super Heavy Rocket Passes Scale Model Tests
Feb 19, 2025
Engineers are using data from wind tunnel experiments to better understand vehicle stability when re-entering Earth’s atmosphere.