As our life becomes more technology dependable each day, it’s quite natural to feel overwhelmed at times. By the time you finish reading this article, dozens of new apps will be available, and we’re probably looking at tens of thousands of apps by the end of the month. That’s just how fast things are moving. Unfortunately, for most of us that usually means more time spent browsing and app hunting, and less time spent in the actual real world with family and friends.

Technology of any kind however, can make our lives easier. All you need is a little knowledge and discipline. We’ll get you started on the knowledge part.

Digital detox

We have reached the point where people would pay good money for some tech free time. People around the world are spending almost half of their lives staring at screens. This develops psychological problems which later affect health and general quality of life. It’s easy to see the relevance of these detox camps. They act on this problem through yoga, hiking, games, talent shows, and other activities – technology free, of course.

Anybody can find balance with a little guidance.

The whole point of this mini plan is to reset your view of digital technology, so that you can focus on the actual useful aspects and improve your life accordingly.

When used correctly and not excessively, digital technology undoubtedly improves our work and personal life. Major improvements:

Productivity. Become a master of time management using online trainings, articles and apps. Evernote, Toggl and Peapod are just a few examples.

Learning. Endless resources of information have become available for everyone to use. Most known: Wikipedia, Coursera, Lynda.

Financial. Thanks to technology, your budgeting headaches are over. There are plenty of apps that not only help you keep your budget in check, but also save you money and precious time. This even extends to cheaper bookings, or online selling/buying.

Social. Keep in touch with friends, family or meet new people. The magic of digital technology brings us closer, regardless of distance.

Right tech at the right time

One of our major issues remains the limitless supply of tech we need to choose from. This could still take us a lot of time. While testing is part of the fun, it helps to have a quick checklist nearby so that you can make the best decision. Whether it’s work or personal related, this 3 question (golden circles based) tester should help:

1. Does this technology improve my personal/work life in any way?

• Try to come up with answers that refer to actual value.

2. How can I adopt this technology in my personal/work life?

• Think of a strategy (if needed) or just visualize your usage of the tech in question.

3. What are my next steps for implementing the usage of this technology?

• If by this point you decided not to use the analyzed tech, then one possible step would be to continue looking, while remembering the reasons why you continued your search.

Digital technology really makes everything easier. All we need to do is keep an open mind and consider tech as a tool that helps us balance our life.