Our world is hyper-connected, and that's not always good for our mental and physical health. The digital era has changed how we interact with loved ones, work, and even relax. Although technology makes life easier and helps us connect with friends and family, it can also harm our wellness when we have too many digital distractions.
If you spend most of your day connected, it may be time for a digital detox. This blog explores why you may need a digital detox, gives you some of the benefits of it, and shows you how to detox it in 10 steps.
Do I Need A Detox?
Knowing how much time is okay to spend online can be difficult. Here are five signs that you're due for a digital detox:
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You have digital dementia
Don't mistake digital dementia for brain fog. The symptoms are the same: trouble concentrating, fatigue, confusion, and short-term memory loss.
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You have FOMO
Social media is an ideal place to stay connected with family and friends. When your loved ones are seemingly always online and posting about their lives, you could begin to feel a fear of missing out.
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Your productivity is dropping
Did you know that refocusing takes around 23 minutes after you are distracted? Distractions cause errors, and social media and other digital platforms can be major distractions from necessary tasks.
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You're not sleeping well
It could be time for a digital detox if you're struggling to sleep a whole night or wake up tired and hazy. Too much screen time can drastically mess with your sleep pattern.
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Social anxiety
Spending more time cultivating relationships in the digital world than in the real world affects how you feel when you have real-life interactions.
How To Do A Digital Detox Step-By-Step
If you are experiencing the signs above and you feel it's time to relax your grip on your digital devices, here are ten simple steps to a digital detox:
Step 1 - Mental Health Apps
Downloading an app to escape technology may sound counterintuitive, but the right apps can help a digital detox. For example, the Off-Time app can help you create time slots when selected apps, sites, and notifications are deactivated. It allows you to customize notifications based on what you need a break from and what you can't live without.
Step 2 - Mute Notifications
Being instantly notified of world news and when you get texts or emails is standard these days. When you turn off as many notifications as possible, you'll still get everything, just not immediately.
Step 3 - Go Greyscale
One of the most alluring things about smart devices is that they're vibrant. When you turn the color off, you may be less likely to spend too much time on the device, especially on image-driven sites like social media platforms. This article has some tips on how to do that.
Step 4 - Limit Your Digital Devices And Screens
Having only one device and one screen open at a time will improve concentration and make connecting with people more meaningful when you focus on them alone, without distractions.
Step 5 - Go Analog
There was a time when there was no internet, email, text messages, social media, kindles, or mobile phones. People had to buy a newspaper to get the news, wait for a letter to be delivered, or for a phone call on a landline. Go analog with at least one thing - write a letter and post it, read a book, read the news in paper form, visit a library.
Step 6 - Spring Clean
Social media has many benefits. It can help you connect with people you care about no matter where they are. But it can also cause physical and mental health problems. Take an honest inventory of how every 'friend' and page you follow on your social media accounts makes you feel. Don't hesitate to delete, block, mute, or unfollow anyone based on this. Keep interacting with the connections that fill you with joy.
Step 7 - Put Your Phone Away During Meals
Make a firm rule that there are no phones allowed at the table. Talk to your partner or family at meal times instead of scrolling through Facebook or catching up with email. If it's difficult for some family members, make another rule: if you bring a phone to the table, you must wash the dishes or get everyone dessert.
Step 8 - Designate Tech-Free Hours
Taking a break from technology can do wonders for our overall health and well-being, even if it's a short break. Look at your schedule and responsibilities and designate at least one or two hours of every day as tech-free. Use this time for face-to-face communication, to meditate, or to enjoy a new hobby. You'll be amazed at how freeing it will begin to feel not being tethered to a device.
Step 9 - Make Your Bedroom Tech-Free
Most people use their phones as an alarm clock, making it easy to start scrolling through Facebook or other social media before bedtime and first thing in the morning. The blue light on the screen tricks your brain into thinking it's daylight, which can cause sleep problems. Buy an alarm clock, and ban your phone from the bedroom.
Step 10 - Get Out!
Nature heals. Once you've started detoxing from social media and technology devices, it's time to implement ways to support your detox. Time in nature will help you deal with stress and anxiety while giving you fun things to do.
When you're hiking, camping, or relaxing outdoors with friends and family, time flies. You won't feel the urge to check your phone as much as when you're stuck indoors, and you may have difficulty connecting to the internet. It's also an excellent way to exercise.
Benefits Of A Digital Detox
Here are some of the benefits of taking a break from endless scrolling:
Reduced stress
According to research, too much time on the internet can contribute to depression and cause stress. Using smartphones increases cortisol levels. This hormone can lead to chronic stress. You can reduce this by putting down your phone and meditating, socializing in person, or spending time in nature instead.
You'll be healthier
Too much time online can also harm you physically. Research has shown that some major problems caused by too much online time are obesity, eye strain, poor posture, and poor sleep quality.
Increased productivity
Technology is tempting and makes multitasking easy. When you multitask, you can only focus part of your attention on the task at hand. When you're not distracted, your productivity will increase.
More confidence
You only see what people want to show you on social media, which is often inaccurate or inflated. Seeing these profiles can cause feelings of inadequacy, making you feel less confident about yourself. With a digital detox, you'll see less of this and get on with your life in the real world.
Improved relationships
The more time you spend online on your phone or computer, the less time and energy you have for the people around you. It can take a toll on relationships, especially with people who don't rely on tech devices to keep in touch.
Better awareness
When your eyes are not glued to a screen, you become more aware of the world and its beauty. Getting in touch with the world around you will help you notice little things that bring you joy, which can even help alleviate the symptoms of depression.
Unplug Today
A digital detox has many benefits. It can boost your health and well-being, help you deal better with life's challenges, and improve energy levels. Use this guide every few months to help you develop sustainable habits around how you use tech.
