My 10 Best Digital Detox Ideas
4th november 2020
Are you feeling overwhelmed by social media?
Do you find yourself spending hours scrolling through endless Facebook and Instagram feeds with just a sinking feeling of FOMO?
You might be in need of a Digital Detox – a prescribed period of time away from your innumerable electronic devices (mobile phones, laptops, desktops, tablets, TVs and the list goes on).
This article focuses on the importance of having a digital detox and the 10 ways to go about it.
The Digital Vortex
We live in a world where we are constantly connected. Everyone’s head is buried in their phone at every spare moment – in the lift, at the traffic lights, waiting at the doctor’s office and even in the toilet!
Having spontaneous conversations at the grocery store or meeting new people in the park whilst walking your dog are now a thing of the past. Even meeting your life partner is done through a serious of swipes, clicks, likes, super likes and online messages.
Over time, phones have become increasingly multi-functional and subsequently we rely on them for numerous daily tasks. Nowadays, you can do everything on your device – from ordering your next meal to video-chatting with your grandma who lives miles away to turning the lights on. As a result, we have become increasingly reliant on these little bricks of technology that sit in our pocket.
It’s easy to succumb to this digital vortex and we’ve all been there (multiple times a day), including me. What makes it harder to escape this vortex is that phones are intentionally designed to be addictive.
Yes that’s right.
Tech companies hire experts to ensure that you are feel compelled to respond to every message, tweet and notification on your hand held devices. In order to have an authentic digital detox, it is important to consciously remove yourself from these influences.
The Digital Vortex
I have taken MANY digital detoxes over the past few years. They often coincided with going on an overseas holiday, camping or studying for exams. After each of these detoxes, I have returned to “normal” life feeling a lot better (mentally and physically).
Mentally, I have found a renewed sense of clarity during the day. I was able to focus on tasks for longer, my concentration span improved, I was more productive and overall I felt a lot more centred and a lot less anxious.
Physically, I found the quality of my sleep improved dramatically when I wasn’t checking my phone right before bed or first thing in the morning. My eyes were less tired and I got fewer headaches. It also gave me a greater appreciation for life outside the digital bubble.
Our phones are designed to be addictive. They have intentionally been made for this purpose. This is compounded by a 24/7 media cycle and countless notifications, updates and messages across various social media platforms.
So how can we maintain the functionality of our phones without being sucked into the digital vortex?
My Top 10 Digital Detox Tips
Here are my 10 best digital detox tips to help you regain control of your time without sacrificing the functionality of your phone. l
1. Avoid screen time before bed
Most electronic devices emit blue light that can make it difficult for our brains to switch off right before bed. Try and avoid screen time in the last 1-2 hours before bedtime to give your brain time to enter its ‘sleep phase’. This is also an important part of sleep hygiene. If you find it difficulty to completely abandon your phone before bedtime, try using an app like Blue Light Night Filter to modify the backlight on your screen.
2. Make the bedroom tech free
Go one step further and make your bedroom tech-free. Invest in an old fashioned alarm clock and put it next to your bed. Read an real life book before bed. Keep your phone outside the room or even in your car. This will stop you from reaching for it first thing in the morning and will mean you have to physically get out of bed to get your phone.
If removing technology from your bedroom seems a little extreme, an alterative is to turn your internet off before you go to bed. Alternatively, put your phone in flight mode. Unless you are expecting an important WhatsApp message that will demand your immediate attention in the middle of the night, there is no reason for your internet to remain on whilst you sleep. So do yourself a favour, and turn your internet off whilst you get some shut-eye.
3. Sign off social!
Last time I checked, no one ever missed my absence on social media.
The majority of people use social media to see what everyone else is up to. Apart from life altering moments (births, engagements, weddings, graduations), very little social media content is actually useful or relevant to day-to-day life. It is of no consequence to me where my work acquaintance of Facebook ate lunch two Tuesday’s ago.
By signing off social media, you can free up your scrolling hours and spend them doing some ACTUAL activity. Like going for a walk/swim/run/bike/hike or catching up with friends and family. Even if the idea of being a social media celibate fills you with dread, why not start with a small, more achievable goal. Like not checking social media during your lunch break or first thing in the morning.
4. Choose people over phones
In some instances, technology and social media often hinder our interactions with others. I’ve lost track of the number of times I will be having a conversation with someone, then their phone will ‘ding’ and they will automatically reach to retrieve it. Now, except for emergencies, whatever you were just ‘texted’, ‘tweeted’ or ‘dinged’ can wait for another 2 minutes until we finish the conversation. I like to think it’s only polite. Others may think differently.
So instead of constantly checking your phone to see if you’ve got a new notification, why not put the phone away at prescribed times. For example, start by not checking your phone for an entire conversation. Instead, try to be present in the conversation and give the other person/people who are physically in front of you, your undivided attention. Same goes for meal times and at the checkout. Be present.
5. Allocate specific times in the day to check your phone
If you feel like you are spending too much time on your phone but don’t want to miss out on everything that’s happening, try allocating specific times of day to check your phone. Maybe it’s once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Dedicate a specific block of time for all your scrolling escapades – maybe one evening a week. The aim is to make a plan and stick to it. Compartmentalizing your time like this can ensure you are at your most functional during the day without missing out on the online world.
6. Adjust the friction on your phone
Another great way to detox from your phone is the re-adjust the location of the various apps on your phone. Keep addictive, non-productive apps (like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) on the last screen or buried in a folder. This will increase the friction to get to these addictive yet unproductive apps and make you less likely to reach for them when you have a spare second.
Decrease the friction for apps that are more useful to your day-to-day activities – alarm clock, banking apps, meditation apps, calendar, email, podcasts, audiobooks. Keep these on the first few screen and within relatively easy access.
7. Have a weekend away
If you’re feeling brave or just really drained, there is nothing more liberating than going ‘out of reception’ for a weekend. Go camping/fishing/hiking/get back out in nature. Roam out of reception – no bars. I guarantee you, even one night away from scrolling and tapping and clicking will rejuvenate you. Why not look at the stars instead!
8. Cultivate device-free hobbies
Now that most things are done online or require a device, it is important to consciously choose hobbies that take us away from the digital vortex. Go old school and start painting/reading/writing or go outdoors and play a sport or have a meal with friends. Choose an activity which doesn’t require your phone.
9. Invest in a light phone
Remember those old red-brick Nokia phones from the 2000s that could text, call, play and snake. The Light Phone is the modern version of this phone. It is designed to “be used as little as possible”. It’s a worthwhile investment if you want to make a long-term change to your digital habits. This phone is designed for “tools not feeds”. It is customizable to the user who can choose which tool to put on the phone – Phone, Alarm, Settings, Calendar, Notes, Music. It promises no feeds, social media, advertisements, news or email. This phone is great as it is designed to put you, the user, back in control of your phone usage.
10. Choose your Apps wisely
My last recommendation is to choose the Apps on your phone wisely. Be judicious with your app selection. Ask yourself – Do I really need this app? How useful is it in my day to day life?
I’ve also curated a great selection of apps that you can install on your phone to help control how and when you use your phone.
I hope you found some/all of the above tips useful. The first step is choosing to do a digital detox and I’m proud of you for giving it a go! Don’t worry if you find it hard at first, that’s totally normal and to be expected. Always remember the reasons why you are trying to do this detox.
May you enjoy reality and happy detoxing!
Doctor Nisha
