You don’t need to give up tech entirely – just use it more intentionally

Don’t worry, we’re not about to tell you to chuck your phone in the sea, delete all social media and live in the woods. Tech is not an inherently bad thing – it’s all down to how you use it. If you’re using tech to be more efficient, minimising the time and faff spent on essential but uninspiring admin, that’s great. The same goes for using tech to connect with people you love, or consuming entertainment you enjoy.

“I’m extremely wary of spending too much time on technology – it can make me feel jumpy and frazzled – but there are actually plenty of ways in which technology can aid us offline,” says Sykes. “Not so that you can be uber productive (another modern preoccupation!) but so that you can enjoy the time you do have, to the max, with the people you love the most.”

It’s when you’re doomscrolling or mindlessly using tech and the internet that it can become a bit problematic. A solution to this can be consciously defining when you’re using technology and what for, and implementing screentime limits to avoid falling down a wormhole.

“I’m really targeted with my social media usage,” Sykes explains. “I don’t keep the apps on my phone - instead I download them once or twice a week when I have content that I want to share, or engage with. This helps me feel rooted in my offline world and means the time I do spend online, is more engaged.”

Feel like you never have enough time? Pandora Sykes has some tips to help