Digital Detox

What is the first thing you do when you wake up? Do you check your phone for notifications and messages? Log onto your computer to stream your favorite playlist while you make a pot of coffee? Imagine that your phone is not in your room and your computer has broken down. If that makes you nervous and anxious, the thought of not being surrounded by your gadgets. Then it is definitely a time for a digital detox.

According to a scientific survey, people in the 18-24 age bracket check their phones almost 80 times a day. We are not only physically attached to our devices, but emotionally as well. I mean we literally fall asleep with our smartphones under our pillows. Our life of hyper-connectivity is more familiar to us as we become slaves to our digital devices.

However, today is an ideal time to reflect upon your relationship with your devices. Give yourself the time and space from your devices to tune into what really matters in life in order to achieve greater productivity and true happiness.

Here are a few steps to cleanse yourself of all the digital afflictions in your life

Delete all social media apps from your phone

Social media while claiming to connect us all can be very distracting. Deleting these apps will allow you some time for yourself. If you need to check your notifications or email, you can use a computer or your laptop. The physical act of turning on your computer every time you want to check your social feed will discourage you from using your phone.

Find a hobby

Our smartphones are one of our primary sources of entertainment, whether we’re trying to sleep at night or while we are traveling to work, we turn to our phones to alleviate us from boredom. So, when was the last time you read from a paperback or took to writing? You can always carry a book around or use the time you would have spent in creating an Instagram story, by putting your thoughts on paper.

Tell people you’re unavailable

If you’re a more social person than I am, you might want to inform your friends that you will be unavailable for some time and will not be able to respond to their messages. Once you make it clear to others that there is no reason to worry, you can pick a nice place to visit on your weekend instead of gluing yourself to your computer or your phone. You an maybe go on a date or finally get dinner with your friends.

A digital detox doesn’t mean you actively shun all digital devices forever. It only means that you’re resting your brains from the constant stimulation, akin to a work-out, we receive from our phones and computers. Our brain, after all, is like a muscle, and no one in their right mind would suggest you participate in such stimulations for eight hours a day, seven days a week. You’d simply get burned out. So maybe it’s time to give our brains a much-needed break, you might be surprised at how refreshed and energized you feel at the end of this exercise.