It’s clear that while digital media has enriched our lives in many ways, there are some downsides. The time we spend with them seems to be increasing every year, and they are merging with all our activities.
This is exactly why more and more people are looking into the idea of a digital detox.
The amount of time we spent connected to digital devices seems to be increasing by the day. With an estimated average of 404 minutes in 2018, we spent 6 hours and 44 minutes a day consuming digital media*. This adds up to more than 100 days, a good part of the year.
Considering that in the same year the average adult slept 6 hours and 54 minutes*, we spent only 10 more minutes on sleep than we did catching up on digital media.
A study* from the University of Michigan has even linked social media usage to narcissism.
It really seems like the perfect time to start implementing a digital detox into our schedules.
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What is a digital detox
According to the dictionary, a digital detox is:
a period of time during which a person refrains from using electronic devices such as smartphones or computers, regarded as an opportunity to reduce stress or focus on social interaction in the physical world.
By staying away from our digital media and electronic devices, we give ourselves a break from our screens and distractions. While everyone uses their digital detox in a different way, generally the idea is to reduce the stress caused from our overstimulating devices.
You can really take your digital detox as far as you want to. You can decide to stay away from all your devices for a period of time, but maybe you only need to block a couple of apps or notifications to calm your mind.
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Why do we need it
I have already written a full article on why we should limit our media usage and one of how to protect your mental health from social media, but there are still so many more reasons.
Research with 35 CEOs, entrepreneurs and influencers in the Moroccan desert has led to a couple of immediate results. Within only 4 days, their posture changed and participants noted better memory and sleep. Their conversations also changed as Google wasn’t the answer to every question anymore. It even seemed like the lack of distraction gave people a chance to evaluate their life decisions and some of them came out of the detox with plans to change their lives.
Sounds pretty good, right?
How to do it?
As I explained before, a real digital detox is to abstain from using any of your electronic devices for a certain amount of time. Now this may be a bit extreme for most of us, so there are so many ways in which you can do this. This is where your digital detox starts:
how far do you want to take this?
Do you really want to stay away from all your devices? Do you just want to relax a bit more? Maybe you want to increase your productivity. Set your intention. Deciding what shape your detox will take is the most important step.
Plan your detox day(s).
It will be so much easier if you know it’s coming. You can print the things you might need, and warn anyone that might call.
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Prepare your space.
So you have decided how you want to do this, now put everything in place. Put any devices you don’t want to use away, block the things that need blocking, set time limits, delete any apps and turn your notifications off.
A digital detox is much easier to do when you’re out of your usual environment, for example when you’re on holiday. It is definitely doable in your daily life by thinking about these things before you start.
Digital detox in every day life
If you feel like a day is not enough, you can implement detoxes in your daily life. Here are some ideas for that:
- Have lunch without any technology.
- Stay away from your phone an hour before and after sleep.
- Schedule 30-60 minutes after you come home from work to settle down.
- Stay off your phone during your commute.
- Schedule time to go through instagram or your email.
- Only one screen turned on at a time.
By scheduling your online and offline hours you set guidelines for yourself, which gives you structure and peace. Be disciplined with it and it will become a habit.
What to do during a digital detox?
Now, of course, you are taking a lot of your usual distractions away, and freeing up some time. If you don’t intend to spend it on work, here are some suggestions to fill your day:
- Dance party
- Exercise
- Cook something new
- Read a book (these, these or these maybe? )
- Have a conversation
- Spend time in nature
- Meditate
- Get artistic
- Create a self care box
- Vision board
- Declutter
- Clean your house
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- Pick up a new hobby
- Decide your core desired feelings
- Go to the library
- Go out for a meal
- Make an old school photo album
- Recreate your favourite restaurant dish
- Garden
- Create new outfit combinations with your clothes
- Daydream
- Write
- Play a board game
- Have a pamper day
- Volunteer
My digital detox day
I also thought it may be helpful to you if I shared the way I do digital detox days. I usually schedule them, but I don’t have them periodically.
I prepare myself by looking up anything I might need. I’ll download songs I love listening to, download a book I want to read if I don’t have any, and write down a recipe if I want to do some baking.
I allow myself to listen to music, read a book on my ipad or watch a workout video. These are the only things I’ll use my screens for. I turn my phone on airplane mode for the whole day.
Related post; 5 steps to be your best self
Usually on these days I enjoy reading, baking and yoga. I might also write or pick up my coloring book. I also like spending time outside so if the weather is decent I’ll go for a walk. Sometimes I’ll combine a detox day with a pamper day and scrub, self-tan and moisturize, and put a mask on my hair and face.
Digital detox days are very simple and don’t need much. You’ll want something to do or you’ll be tempted to pick up your phone or laptop.
So there are all my tips for a digital detox! I really enjoy these days and feel very rested and peaceful after them. It is so nice to take a break from all these stimulating devices we usually spend 10 hours a day with. Often we don’t realize how frantic they can make us feel until we step away from them for a while.
I believe that a digital detox is a great thing to do for ourselves, even if it’s only for a day. You don’t have to do something for a week for it to be effective, so try it out for yourself. Let me know if you’d like to a digital detox day and what you’d do on a day like that!
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