Safer Internet Day

With the digital realm impeding almost every inch of our daily lives, it can be hard to be mindful of its impacts. It is important to manage our online wellbeing and build digital resilience.

Digital resilience refers to understanding when you may be at risk online, knowing what to do if something goes wrong, learning from your experiences and being able to recover from any difficulties.

Building digital resilience is not about trying to be so tough that nothing impacts us. Broadly speaking, resilience is the ability to recover from setbacks. How we respond and adapt to life challenges is key to how we take care of our wellbeing. Here are some tips on how to build your digital resilience and ensure your online experiences are positive.

Understand The Risks

- Identify the Risks

- What do you dislike about your previous online experiences?

- Have they changed – through lockdown perhaps?

Know When and How To Seek Help

- Social media platforms have formal support mechanisms available – a simple search for ‘Report’ or ‘Help’ will put you in the right direction

- Reach out to a trusted network of family and friends

Recover

- Maintain a positive outlook

- Implement steps to reduce your anxiety

- Try not to dwell

- Stay in touch with friends and family

Self-Care

- Acknowledge your triggers

- Schedule time away from screens

- Turn off notifications

- Change attitudes – don’t compare yourself to others

- Live for the moment – don’t be under pressure to capture your life

- Manage your time - prioritise what’s important