4 Steps to Protecting Your Mental & Digital Wellness Through Digital Security

We live our lives online so much now that the digital world affects our physical well-being. You’ve probably experienced this phenomenon before, whether you use social media daily or you manage your financial and personal accounts online. We all want to make sure that we are well, both in the physical world and in the digital world.

It’s hard to escape the constantly buzzing questions about safety, especially as the technological world changes so quickly. Even if you’re not the type of person who experiences significant stress or anxiety, most digital users have low-grade anxiety around their safety and the safety of their information.

We have seen countless campaigns for physical wellness, spiritual wellness, emotional wellness, relational wellness, and mental wellness. I propose that we need campaigns for digital wellness.

Yes, digital wellness.

Digital tools are so integrated into our everyday lives that we cannot afford to overlook how they affect our overall journey toward health and contentment.

When you access your bank account online, do you ever think about the potential for someone to hack in and steal your money? What about when you post on social media? Do you wonder who is viewing your posts, or what they might do with the information you share?

These concerns are valid, but the anxiety that they cause is where digital wellness crosses the line into the world of mental wellness.?

Even though the internet has been around for decades now, we’re only beginning to see the effects of our online lives. Now is the time for people to cultivate healthy digital practices so that they can understand how to relate to the digital world, set boundaries and security in place for their protection, and be free from the anxiety of the digital world.

Digital security is the first step that we should take to protect our mental health and digital wellness. Here are four steps I’ve learned and developed as a digital security entrepreneur.?

Know the Risks of Everyday Digital Life

You can’t mitigate problems without anticipating what might cause them. To prevent harm, you need to understand which factors might impact your overall wellness. You must anticipate the risks of digital life, but you don’t have to develop paranoia about it.

Here’s what I’m saying: Digital life, like any aspect of life, has its inherent risks, and you should be familiar with them.

But I’m also saying this: Don’t rush to the metaphorical digital WebMD to research your symptoms and diagnose problems out of anxiety.

The most common risks of life online are things that can affect your finances in the present and in the future, because (as you might expect) hackers and those with malicious intentions steal information to make a profit.

If you live your life online, you must understand that you could be at risk for identity theft, fraud, harassment, or loss of funds—just like everyone else who uses the internet. Take a hold of your digital wellness journey by understanding that there will always be things to worry about, there will always be risks, but we are all facing them side-by-side.

Depending on how you use the internet, you should have a concept of the risks you’re incurring. Do you have your banking app on your phone? You should probably make sure your phone requires a password to unlock. Do you work from home or coffee shops often? You might want to consider using a VPN to protect yourself while browsing the web.

Understanding the risks of your daily habits is critical to cultivating digital security and digital wellness.

Prioritize the Three Is: Identity, Investments, and Impact

As you’re building your digital wellness framework, three key areas need the most digital security. I call them the Three Is of Digital Security: Identity, Investments, and Impact.

Your first priority when it comes to digital security should always be your identity. Hackers are so sophisticated now that they can pull information about you from a wealth of websites and form a comprehensive idea of who you are as a person. If your social security number or other personal details (like your name, birthdate, and hometown) are leaked in a data breach, a hacker could easily steal your identity and commit fraud. Identity theft is the most common type of fraud and it’s on the rise.?

Second, think of your investments when you think of digital security. This category is broader than your literal investments—it can include your income, your assets, your credit cards, or any other place that you send or receive money. No one wants their money stolen (of course), and it’s important to understand how you can protect your finances with various digital security measures.

Finally, consider the impact of your digital wellness. Every time a passenger rides in an airplane they hear this message: should the cabin lose oxygen, put your mask on before helping others.?

The same applies to digital security. We must take care of ourselves so that we can take better care of others. Your digital security and wellness decisions have an impact on those around you.?

This is even more true if you have children. Did you know that children are highly susceptible to identity theft and credit fraud? Any information about your children that you post online could be used against them.?

Every decision you make about your life online has an impact on someone else, whether it’s your employer, your family, or your friends.?

These three Is are essential components of digital security, and they should be the first ones you address. Chances are, if you address the risks and concerns in these areas, you will feel a little less stressed about digital security—that’s a step in the right direction toward digital wellness.

Identify Places You Need Increased Security

Here’s the thing: we all have blind spots. Once you understand the risks of life online and you prioritize the key elements of your digital life, you can build a plan to implement greater digital security. This is where the rubber meets the road, and digital security meets digital wellness.?

Take an honest look at how you interact online. What are your bad habits? Perhaps it’s something as simple as not keeping your computer updated (this could affect your digital safety because updates often include security advances). Or it may be a bigger deal—like you realize you have overshared online and now the general public has access to your full name, birthdate, address, phone number, and more.

Whatever your current digital security status may be, it’s time to assess where you need a more targeted safety strategy. Refer back to those three Is of digital security and look at each facet of your life online.

Chances are, you’ll find plenty of blind spots (as we all do).?

Take Proactive Steps to Promote Digital Security

Digital security helps us optimize our digital wellness because it’s a strategic way for us to reduce our anxiety about life online. The fourth and final step toward digital wellness is to implement proactive digital security measures. Take note of the areas where you need to improve your digital security and start applying solutions.?

Adjust privacy settings on your social media accounts, monitor your credit score, and set up alerts on your bank accounts for fraudulent activity.

You can also go the extra-efficient route and sign up for a digital security service that manages all of this in one place—that way you don’t have to worry about being on the alert at all times. It’s easy to obsess about digital security, especially if you’ve been a victim of fraud. I know it was in the back of my mind 24/7 when I experienced fraud. I started Aura as a means to take that stress off of consumers—especially those that have been victims themselves.?

We’re going to hear more and more about digital wellness in the next few years, and these four anxious online existence.