‘Let’s D-Stress’ event in Mumbai highlights digital wellbeing

Mumbai: Bringing attention to the effects of screen habits on mental well being, attention span and everyday relationships, RJ Kunal and Dr Sagar Mundada led an interactive session at The Times of India's ‘Let's D-Stress' event held at Lodha Fiorenza in Goregaon East on Sunday.The session began with participants discussing their screen time through a "Raise your hand if…" activity, followed by an online assessment measuring digital habits and neurochemical responses. Dr Mundada explained how prolonged phone disuse is treated by the brain as an emergency, increasing cortisol levels. He advised avoiding phones ideally two hours before and after sleep and highlighted the role of dopamine, describing today's world as a "swimming pool of dopamine" where reward and effort are no longer closely linked.Dr Mundada recommended techniques such as the 4-7-8 breathing exercise, increasing time for boredom and engaging with long-form content to improve attention span. Addressing FOMO, he encouraged participants to adopt JOMO — the Joy of Missing Out — and stressed the importance of self validation.The discussion also covered healthier relationships and reducing screen addiction in teenagers through what Dr Mundada termed the "Diabetes Principle" — replacing screen time with enjoyable alternatives like sports or social interaction rather than forcing non pleasurable activities. The event concluded with audience interaction and photographs.