Managing your daily routine with the right digital solutions can simplify things – and give mental health benefits for you and your family.
Managing work, ensuring your children are safe and happy, and making time for your own social life and hobbies can be a struggle. It’s little wonder that many of us feel like our to-do list is continually expanding with a never-ending stream of tasks to tick off and worries to address.
But what if you could try to make life that little bit easier with integrated tech and mobile services that allow you to do everything as efficiently as possible, all while having the power to turn off and relax at the click of a button? As experts and parents are discovering, EE is helping modern families to streamline their lives and make time for some much-needed headspace and connection.
Make worklife more efficient with Wi-Fi Enhancers
If you work from home or have a hybrid work setup, you’ll need to feel confident that your home broadband or Wi-Fi is up to the task. After all, no one wants to spend the morning worrying about the internet cutting out during that important Zoom meeting.
That’s where EE’s WiFi Enhancer comes in. Ideal for busy connected homes where multiple members of the family are online at one time, it simply prioritises your connection during that important meeting – so even if your teen is immersed in a Minecraft battle with friends and your father-in-law is downstairs watching his favourite boxset, you won’t experience any issues with your connection. Less worry and more headspace to focus on the task at hand? Yes please.
Never lose connection with the family
Worrying about the kids or elderly parents when they’re out and about is a right of passage for many of us. What if they run out of data or can’t get in touch to ask for a lift home? It’s a small everyday thought that can take up a lot of headspace. Mobile services such as EE’s Stay Connected Data alleviate this concern by allowing everyone in the family to use apps like WhatsApp and maps even when they’re out of data. That means you can get back to work – or stream that gripping new TV drama – knowing your loved ones are safe and happy.
Use parental controls to help set clear tech boundaries
Like most parents, you probably find that you have to closely monitor your kids’ tech use and set clear boundaries. EE makes this easier with Wi-Fi controls that allow you to oversee all of the devices in the home using its connected app. Want the kids to come down for dinner and finish their homework, or have some relaxing wind down time before bed? Simply turn off the Wi-Fi on their personal devices with one click of a button.
While you may face some initial push back, encouraging everyone in the family – even the adults – to practise responsible phone and tech use is worth it. “Taking regular breaks from tech has many benefits for both our mental and physical health,” explains psychologist Dr Patricia Barber. “Having constant access to our phones and being accessible means that many of us can stay in a heightened state of alert. But by taking a break we can engage in face-to-face connections which significantly support our mental health and wellbeing.”
Have the headspace to enjoy meaningful family moments
Another benefit of taking a break from personal devices is the space it frees up to enjoy meaningful moments together as a family. It can be easy to sit side by side on the sofa and lose a whole evening to social media without even acknowledging one another. As Dr Barber explains, making time to connect as a family is incredibly beneficial for all, especially for the youngest of your brood.
“For children and young people, having a key time where you connect as a family can bring a huge sense of security and greatly improve their self confidence, build stronger bonds, and is a fantastic chance to model healthy communication,” she explains.
EE’s Safer Sims plans prevent kids from accessing content that’s inappropriate for their age range, while its P.H.O.N.E. chat initiative is helping parents take the first step in talking to their teens about the online world.
“When we set clear boundaries we protect time and energy for the things that matter most,” says Dr Barber. “It becomes easier to switch off from work, be fully present with loved ones and carve out space for rest and self-care.” While these boundaries can be difficult to implement at first, they can feel incredibly rewarding when they’re successfully established over time.
Want to learn more about how you can streamline your life this year? Head to EE to learn more about its integrated broadband and mobile services.
Visit telegraph.co.uk/smartlife for more about EE. There’s loads of smart advice, from setting up parental controls and keeping your kids safe online to making sure you never run out of data when you need it most.