Have you ever finished a day feeling oddly exhausted — even though you didn’t do anything that physically demanding?
I know I have. As a remote writer, I spend a lot of time on my laptop and phone, and over the past few years, I’ve started paying closer attention to the hidden ways technology impacts my focus, energy, and overall mental well-being.
What I’ve found is that it’s not always the obvious things — like back-to-back Zoom calls — that drain us the most. Sometimes, it’s the small, sneaky tech habits we hardly notice that chip away at our mental clarity bit by bit.
Today, we’re going to dive into five of these subtle tech habits.
Recognizing and adjusting just a few of these has made a huge difference for me — and they might do the same for you.
Let’s jump in
1. Multitasking
Ever find yourself watching a show, scrolling through social media, and half-listening to a podcast all at once?
I’ve been there—often with a laptop on my knees, a phone in hand, and a TV in the background. It feels like a superpower at first, doesn’t it? Juggling multiple screens and tasks makes us feel productive, or at least very in-the-know.
But the reality is that screen-hopping can seriously weaken our attention span. As experts have noted, multitasking “can impair cognitive abilities such as memory, focus, and decision-making” and even reduce productivity by up to 40%!
I used to believe I was a master of multitasking, especially during my marketing days when it was normal to have seven tabs open for competitor research, client analytics, and an email draft all at once. But after repeatedly forgetting crucial deadlines (and living in a constant state of mental hurry), I realized that frequent task switching was often the culprit.
Now, I put effort into single-tasking as much as possible—tackling one project before jumping into the next. Trust me, give it a shot.
2. Constantly checking notifications
Have you ever been elbow-deep in a project, only to hear the familiar ping of your phone, glance at it, and then realize you’ve lost your entire train of thought?
Well, it’s not only the fleeting moment of reading that text that disrupts you—there’s a lingering effect on your productivity. According to experts in the field, “It takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to the task.”
For me, this is one of the biggest drains on mental energy. A single ping can trigger a domino effect of curiosity and distraction. I see a message, decide to respond, then notice another notification, maybe even open an entirely different app, and before I know it, 20 minutes have gone by.
Meanwhile, the original task sits abandoned on my screen, forcing me to reorient and gather my thoughts all over again.
It doesn’t help that notifications are carefully designed to lure you back.
The solution I’ve found? Schedule notification checks. I know it sounds weird to schedule something that used to be automatic, but believe me, it’s freeing to decide when to give my phone attention instead of letting it yank me around at every chime.
3. Doomscrolling the day away
Doomscrolling is a tough habit to break.
It starts innocently—you want to see what’s happening in the world—but then you keep going, sinking deeper into negative articles or heated conversations. Before you realize it, you feel more anxious than informed.
This habit can do a number on your mental health. As noted in one Pyschology Today post, “A 2023 study linked doom-scrolling to worse mental health and decreased life satisfaction… it can make you irritable, fatigued, and less productive.”
And, honestly, that lines up with my own observations. The times I’ve spent aimlessly reading about disasters or arguments right before bed, I’ve ended up sleeping poorly and waking up feeling drained.
So, I’ve started questioning myself whenever I realize I’m going down a doomscroll rabbit hole. I’ll ask, “Is this helping me in any way, or is it just fueling anxiety?”
More often than not, I’ll set my phone aside and pick up a book, maybe something that engages my mind without sending me into panic mode. Or I’ll do a short wind-down routine—stretching, journaling, or brewing chamomile tea—to help transition to a calmer state of mind.
Even just two minutes of these alternatives can be enough to break the cycle and save precious mental energy.
4. Sending work emails after hours
If you’ve ever read a work email at 9 p.m. and felt your stomach clench, you know how easy it is for technology to invade personal time.
For me, it used to be second nature to check my inbox on my phone while getting ready for bed. In my old marketing job, responding quickly felt like a badge of honor—it meant I was dedicated. But over time, it became intrusive. I couldn’t separate relaxation from work, and my mind was never fully switched off.
Apparently, the research confirms that this is a real issue. Researchers have noted that studies have shown “a significant association between work calls/texts after hours and work–life conflict.” It’s not rocket science, but it’s a reminder that if our minds never get a break from job demands, we’re going to burn out or at least feel perpetually drained.
These days, I’m more deliberate about designating a cutoff point for work-related communications—usually around dinner time.
If something urgent pops up, I’ll handle it. But for everything else, it can wait.
I also rely on the built-in do-not-disturb modes on my phone to ensure I’m not lured back in by email pings after hours. Sure, sometimes I’ll slip and check one last time, but even then, I’m mindful that I’m choosing to do it. I’m no longer letting it choose me.
5. Using tech before bed
I’ve been guilty of this many times—lying in bed, lights off, but phone still glaring in my face as I scroll through social feeds. I always told myself it was a harmless way to wind down.
But in reality, it often made me feel restless and oddly alert, even though I was supposedly trying to fall asleep.
Turns out, there’s a simple biological explanation behind this. As noted by the folks at Harvard, “Using blue-light-emitting devices like smartphones before bedtime can disrupt sleep patterns by suppressing melatonin.”
Melatonin is like our body’s natural dimmer switch, telling us when it’s time to wind down. When this hormone is suppressed, we end up feeling awake when we really shouldn’t be.
Personally, I’ve noticed that if I skip the bedtime scrolling routine, not only do I drift off faster, but I also feel more refreshed the next morning. Now, I keep my phone out of reach and try reading a book or meditating instead.
It’s a small change, but it makes a huge difference in my overall rest.
Putting it all together
Our everyday tech habits can be a real double-edged sword. We need our devices for work, to stay in touch with friends and family, and for a healthy dose of entertainment. But it’s easy to drift into routines that slowly but surely chip away at our concentration, mood, and overall mental clarity.
At the end of the day, the key is identifying which of these habits resonates with you and taking one small step to address it.
Are you juggling multiple screens? Close a few. Are you forever checking notifications? Try scheduling them. Stuck in a doomscroll loop at midnight? Put your phone down and pick up a book—or your pillow. If you keep reading work emails at 10 p.m., set a boundary and stick to it.
We’re all learning how to navigate this tech-dominated world—myself included. The good news is, just being aware is half the battle. And once you start taking charge, you’ll likely find that you have more mental energy to pour into the things that truly matter.
