Looking back on my childhood, I am so grateful for imaginative play and time spent outdoors. Aside from the occasional movie, technology has little appeal. We don’t have the ability to consume technology as we do now.
Technology is amazing and beneficial in many ways, but it can also be toxic and addictive. Technology can help us connect. It also distracts us and is too accessible. Technology can make it feel like the work never ends. Excessive use of technology and devices can lead to physical, social and psychological problems. While it may not be realistic to get rid of technology entirely, it is possible to take a break from time to time and do a digital detox.
A digital detox is when you do not use technology and devices (social media, email, texting, video game smartphones/tablets, TV) for a certain period of time. It could be a few days, a week or more. Doing a digital detox can bring many benefits to your overall health. According to the Cleveland Clinic, a digital detox can reduce stress levels, enjoy your time, enhance sleep and help maintain a healthy work-life balance.
My cheeks were flushed with embarrassment and shame when my iPhone displayed the average daily screen time. How can I waste 4 hours of my day staring at a screen? Especially when I have a young kid at home and want to be with him and develop healthy habits.According to the earth network Americans spend an average of 5.5 hours a day on their phones and check their phones an average of 63 times a day.
If you’re also looking to make some changes to your tech consumption, try some of these tips to help build healthier tech boundaries and habits.
How to do a digital detox
Set boundaries and use your phone with purpose
The average American checks their phone 63 times a day. If we are awake 16 hours a day, that means we check our phones about 4 times an hour. How many of these pickups are completely unnecessary and caused by unhealthy habits?if you have seen Social Dilemmas on Netflix You know phones are designed to keep us constantly checking them, and we’re clearly making that happen! Everything from ringtones, vibrations, and notifications helps make it feel almost impossible to avoid this urge to check in.
Start by assessing what you consider important and acceptable ways of using your phone. This may be different for everyone. Are you keeping in touch with family and friends through text messages and social media? Is it to keep up with work emails? Try to eliminate unnecessary usage caused by the need to stay connected all the time and the fear of missing something. Every time you pick up your phone, try to get in the habit of asking yourself if it’s necessary. Did you pick it up because you were bored? Did you choose it because you felt anxious and were looking for something to cover up your feelings? This one is important to me…knowing that you are not alone. The first step is to confirm so you can make some changes.
Turn off push notifications
Push notifications were created to increase consumer usage and reliance on applications. While getting a notification can be exciting, that’s what makes it so harmful. Notifications are often very unnecessary and just make you feel the need to be constantly connected, which comes with the responsibility of always being accessible to respond and react. This article explains how push notifications affect your brain and This explains how notifications can negatively impact your productivity levels. Turn off push notifications for unnecessary apps and you’ll feel more in control of your phone usage.
Put away your phone during meal time
Meal time is an opportunity to be with family and friends, where you can connect with loved ones and enjoy the food you’re eating without distraction. This sounds good in theory, but I’ve been so distracted by my phone at dinner that I’ve completely missed the stories my husband shared with me. I’ve also been on the other side, and it doesn’t feel good to be ignored. Put these phones out of reach and give yourself and your family a break to focus and enjoy time together.
Designate no tech time
Deciding when not to use technology is a great way to start setting boundaries. Choosing meal times, bedtimes, appointments with family/friends, work, etc. are all very reasonable ways to maintain a healthy balance with our use of technology. Knowing that we have these breaks and can distance ourselves from technology is also very beneficial to our productivity and mental health.
Make your bedroom a tech-free zone
Technology that confines the bedroom is something we can all benefit from. Doom rolling late at night or early in the morning is very unhealthy for our sleep cycles and mental health. Here’s an article on how blue light affects our sleep. Set up a charging station in your kitchen or living room and sign off at night when you’re resting before going to bed to rejuvenate your tech-free night.
Download apps to control technology usage
Determining where you stand in terms of technology use is an important first step in making a change or starting a digital detox. Screen Time apps are a great tool. Screen Time gives us our daily average phone usage over a week (time in use, calls, notifications), downtime, and the ability to set app limits, communications, and restrictions. Try setting daily or weekly goals. Where can you reduce usage? Setting time limits on social media apps is also very helpful in notifying us when we scroll for a certain amount of time.
Spread your time with other activities
You may find that once you start creating boundaries around technology, you have some new time on your hands. This is a great opportunity to spend your time in a truly purposeful way. What makes you feel truly happy, healthy and rejuvenated? Maybe reading, meditating, walking, cooking, baking, knitting, spending time with pets, family and friends. Choose something and spend your time doing what you love that makes you feel energized and healthy, not the toxicity of technology. Try these 5 apps to limit your screen time.
Seek help from family and friends
This can be embarrassing or shameful, but help is available. Whether it’s checking in with a friend on the responsibility of using technology to stay on track, or more formally asking for help because you really can’t stop. Know that these devices are designed to be addictive to us and are also very harmful to our mental health. If you’re having trouble getting help, know that this is absolutely the right thing to do. Your loved ones will help you set boundaries and give you the help you need to build a healthier relationship with technology.
Remove social media apps.
In early January, I deleted social media apps from my phone, one of the best decisions I’ve made this year. I spent hours rolling without even making the conscious decision to roll. My brain hits apps before I know what I’m doing. Having a baby and breastfeeding at home means I have more time on my hands, and constantly pulling out my phone to check has become a problem. Simply deleting these most frequently accessed apps has removed the temptation and opportunity to constantly check and refresh.
Keep a journal to track your progress
If you’re a little more introverted and motivated, you can hold yourself accountable through journaling. Tracking the beginning of a detox or new technical boundaries will help you be consistent and diligent. It will also be fun to track your mood and progress. You can start with small steps and add as you go. Some tips you can use in your tech journal might include: daily rating of 1-10, limits/boundaries you follow, progress, how you feel, your temptation to use tech, how you spend your free time.
Jess (along with many of you) took a digital detox over the holidays and found it rejuvenating and clarifying. She left with many new insights and ideas. We’re all grappling with this problem, and in a world so reliant on technology, it’s not easy. If you are interested in reading here are two recommended books:
Digital Minimalism at Cal Newport
John Harry’s Stolen Focus
Have you ever done a digital detox? How does it make you feel? Are you interested in doing one as part of a group? We love exploring things like this. Let us know in the comments.
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