Our digital lives accompany us. We are constantly online and spend several hours in front of the screen. We are constantly informed and can hardly imagine our lives without being constantly available.
It becomes a major problem when we can’t get away from our cell phones because we are afraid of missing something. The ringing, buzzing and flashing of our smartphones condition us to reach for our cell phones even when nothing is happening.
In addition, we are overstimulated with constant information, texts, images, and videos that overwhelm us and lead to constant stress. Mentally, we are always somewhere else.
What is Digital Detox
Digital Detox stands for taking time out from all digital media. During the Digital Detox time you ban smartphone, laptop, TV or streaming services from your life for a certain time. Digital Detox can last an hour, a day or a whole month. The duration depends entirely on your own intention and capacity.
By the way, the goal of the digital detox is not to condemn smartphones and digital devices, because digitalization makes our lives easier. It’s just about bringing you into the here and now. And to learn a conscious handling of the media, so that it serves our benefit and not the other way around. Away from the compulsion to check mail and messengers and from the distortion of beautiful pictures and newsfeed to real life – your environment, perception or a good book.
It’s about consciously taking time for the devices and consciously taking time without the devices.
In the following, I will present you 5 steps that I always make to consciously switch off during the Digital Detox and to reset my behavior with my smartphone.
5 Simple Steps to Digital Detox
#1 Create smartphone, laptop or TV free zones
Create digital Free Zones in your house or instead keep all devices out of reach or on airplane mode. This will fully help you to eliminate the temptation to constantly check out our phone or something else. It will help you to be more present and enjoy what’s in front of you.
#2 Go out in Nature and stay Offline
Regardless of how tired you are when you spend a day outside or even a few hours it can relieve you of weekly stress and anxiety. Especially when I turn off your internet during this time, it always teaches me that I can live without Social Media and I’m not missing anything out actually.
#3 Take a Social Media Break for one or more days
Social media can be useful in many aspects. But it can also be the reason for feeling unproductive, exhausted and depended. Or promoting anxiety and stress if it’s not used conscious and wisely.
Taking a break from social media can simply mean keeping a clear head and using other tools to stay in contact with the people in your life and improving our mental health.
Start by only taking one day off from social media. If you can add more days do it. I can assure you that it won’t be long until you’ll experience the benefit of staying a specific time away from social media.
#4 Turn off push Notifications
If you deactivate the notifications of all the unimportant apps, you will be checking your phone less and enjoying your non-digital time more.
#5 Take breaks from Screens
You can do this by using analog alternatives. For example, you can use an analog alarm clock to avoid looking at your phone when you wake up in the morning, or read books for entertainment or to fill dead times. Make analog game times or engage in physical activities more often. Give your eyes time to break and your brain time to rest.
Your Intention Matters
As mentioned earlier, the number of days you take a digital break doesn’t matter what your intention is. For me, it’s often about reducing bad habits that have been caused through my social media consumption and re-learn to keep my phone away while I’m engaging in something that matters to me or contributes to my health and well-being.
Thank you for reading!
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