Dr. Selchen is a Staff Psychiatrist and Director of Education at Sunnybrook’s Frederick W. Thompson Anxiety Disorders Centre.

Stress affects everyone. Where does yours stem from?

I don’t think my stressors are significantly different from a lot of folks. In no particular order, there’s work. As a psychiatrist, there are a lot of people who rely on me, especially throughout this pandemic, so being present and available can be challenging. I have other roles; I’m a husband and father, and I want to support my family through the challenges they are facing. So stress comes from having enough time in the day to attend to those people and things that are meaningful to me, along with the other things that get in the way.

Would you describe yourself as a calm person?

I don’t know if I’m calm by temperament, but I’m calm but cultivation. I am an “earned” calm. My professional focus is on people’s mental health and wellbeing. One of the selfish benefits of this job is that I can help myself as much as others, and I wouldn’t be authentic in my work if I didn’t do that.

So what does that look like for you?

Especially during the pandemic, I’ve been mindful to keep track of my relationships, so making time for people and checking in on them. I carve out time every day for meditation practice. I do yoga. I’ve also been doing martial arts for years and have a black belt in karate. It’s been great for physical, mental and spiritual health. I also have a Netflix practice.

Tell me more about your Netflix practice!

I’m human, I watch television. My kids are big into the Marvel cinematic universe so we all love that. During the pandemic, it was hard not going to movie theatres, so we translated that into family movie nights.

Part of your role is teaching mindfulness. It seems like such a big abstract idea.

For many people, mindfulness has become synonymous with calming the mind and emptying it of thoughts. To be honest, that’s not how I would define it. Mindfulness is really about the relationship we have with what we encounter and our life experiences. The people, the sights and sounds and events around us and within us; the physical sensations that move through our bodies, the thoughts that move through our minds and the emotions we are experiencing. So it’s really a question of how do I relate to those things? Am I relating in a way that’s adding more stress, or am I relating in a way that lets me work with the challenges? A lot of what I do is helping people unlearn what they thought mindfulness was all about.

How hard is it to practice what you preach?

There is a real difference between embodying and modelling. Modelling is about putting on a behaviour that I want you to have, but it’s deliberate and not necessarily authentic. It’s about playing a part. Embodying is really living a behaviour; the more we can do that, the more authentic it is, the more meaningful it becomes for us and the more impactful it is for others. When it comes to taking my own advice, embodying good habits and behaviours is what I try to apply into my own life.

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Whether it’s checking your Facebook feed or scrolling through Instagram, there’s no shortage of “stuff” to look at, and it can be easy to lose track of time. Before you know it, 10 minutes of your day — or sometimes way more minutes than you care to admit —are lost forever, thanks to social media.

Breaking up with social media

If you’ve ever felt like taking a social media time out, you’re not alone.

Even social media sensations themselves need a digital detox. Toronto-native YouTube star Lilly Singh announced her decision to take a break from social media and focus on mental health. Over the years, several celebrities have also quit various social media platforms for reasons ranging from too many negative comments or being harassed, hackers or publicity stunts, or just needing a little (or a lot) more privacy.

Why a digital detox can be a good thing

“Taking a break from anything can provide needed time for critical reflection,” says Dr. Jeremy Rezmovitz, a family physician at Sunnybrook. “We can enhance our lives and learning through real world experiences, and by taking the time to think and reflect on our feelings.”

Less time on social media can also help you connect more with people face-to-face.

“Engaging with others, in person, fulfills our senses wholly; it fulfills our needs to physically feel, hear, see, touch and smell,” Dr. Rezmovitz says. “These are primal components to living life fully.”

So, how do you know it’s time to take a time-out from social media?

Dr. Rezmovitz recommends asking yourself these questions: Is social media a problem in my life? Why would I need to take a break? Do I need to turn it off completely, or just turn it down?

The benefits of taking a break from social media

Taking time off of social media, he adds, means freeing up your time for other activities that are good for both brain and body:

1. Mindfulness: being aware of your thoughts and feelings, and being present in the moment
2. Movement: when people are online, they’re often sitting and sedentary. It’s great to get up and move!
3. Opportunity to experience nature
4. More time to learn about yourself
5. More time to sleep

Catching more ZZZs with less social media

“If an individual is experiencing stress, anxiety or strong emotions in the context of social media use, this could also impact their ability to fall asleep,” says Dr. Mark Boulos, a Sunnybrook neurologist and sleep specialist.

Ever scroll through your phone in bed when you should be going to sleep? That could mean not getting enough sleep at night, and that can have an impact on overall health.

“Poor quality sleep could lead to lead to poor energy levels and fatigue throughout the day,” Dr. Boulos explains. “Chronically poor sleep is linked with health consequences such as obesity, motor vehicle collisions, and in the worst case scenarios: stroke, heart attack, or early death.”

To help get a better night’s rest, “We generally encourage people to avoid use of electronic screens in the time leading up to bedtime as this could lead to difficulty falling asleep,” says Dr. Boulos. “Taking a break from social media could help improve sleep by reducing anxiety levels.”

Taking some time away or limiting technology can help boost a person’s mental and physical health. It’s a great way to find more time for yourself and to get more of those lost minutes back — just one of the many benefits of taking a break from social media.

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