Vitality: Ditch your devices for a digital detox this spring

But what if you took these six hours of potential productivity and enjoyment and sacrificed them for screen time? Not once a month, not once a week, but once a day.

Multiple hours lost to our devices a day might seem far-fetched to some, but it's a real and scary trap that a growing number of us are falling into. It was a sobering reality that Rachael Hansen faced when, over a year ago, she realised she had a negative relationship with her phone.

"I always knew that people were addicted to their phones. You hear it all the time. For me, it was a really bodily reaction. My thoughts would start racing and I'd reach for my phone every time," Ms Hansen said.

"There'd be a bit of silence at work, or I'd be waiting for the train. I couldn't just listen to music. I had to have my phone in my face, and I'd spend hours on a Saturday or Sunday morning when it was sunny outside, just in bed on my phone."

From what Phillipa Brown, psychologist, CEO and founder of MeHelp Psychology, has observed, Ms Hansen is not alone in her experience. She believes there is a "huge correlation" between poor mental health and screen time. "Psychologically, screen time has a big impact. The constant notifications and scrolling keep the brain in a state of alert, which contributes to stress and anxiety," Ms Brown said.

"When your dopamine feels depleted, an easy thing to do is pick up the phone and start scrolling because it gives you that dopamine hit. What we're seeing is people feeling more stressed and anxious because they're getting too much dopamine from the screen time."

Ms Brown says this vicious cycle can also lead to people experiencing symptoms of ADHD as a result of overstimulation. Add to the mix the negative effects of spending that screen time hooked into social media, and the mental health concerns only inflate. They call it "doom scrolling" for good reason.

"Social media can really fuel low mood and self-doubt. As much as you feel like you're being connected through social media, you're actually being more disconnected," Ms Brown said.

In reality, the healthy connection occurs when we switch our devices off. Ms Brown says the benefits of unplugging from the digital world are improved sleep quality and energy, reduced stress, more mental clarity, and stronger, more present relationships.

"Spring is a perfect time to reset a habit. Just like spring cleaning your home, a digital detox is all about clearing mental clutter. The sun is starting to come out, it's such a great time to be with family and friends outside, away from the screens," Ms Brown said.

"Replace the scrolling with local activities, such as going for walks, to farmers' markets, or participating in local sports."

In saying this, Ms Brown recognises that it's easier said than done to ditch the device cold turkey. For Ms Hansen, setting realistic and achievable boundaries was what reduced her daily screen time from six hours to three.

"I'd allow myself to, for example, on Instagram, watch my friend's stories, but I couldn't scroll," Ms Hansen said. "Beyond that, I created different time limits, such as making my phone completely shut off after 8pm and not come back on until 6am."

Ms Hansen found it easy to set time limits in her phone settings, as well as change her phone display to black and white - a trick that makes it less appealing to engage with social media content.

Beyond these measures, Ms Brown recommends creating screen-free zones at home, such as in the bedroom or at the dinner table. You can also schedule tech-free hours in the day, starting with 30 minutes in the morning or evening.

"It's really just about using digital tools more mindfully," Ms Brown said. "You want to swap the endless scrolling for a quick, more present check-in and encourage face-to-face connection, whether that's going for coffee with a neighbour, or something that doesn't involve your phone."