In this day and age when each of us is surrounded by machines – laptops, mobile phones, computers, music systems and so on, it is essential to once in a while take a step back, and give yourself a digital detox.
[the_ad id=”6114″] Simply put, a “Digital Detox” is the time span for which you refrain from using any digital or electronic equipment or device.
Why indulge in a Digital Detox?
While technology has brought its own set of advantages, there are times when it distracts you and affects your mental and physical well-being. A digital detox will enable you to ensure that you are not addicted to digital devices and take out time to enjoy the physical and real world. Many times, it also helps restore peace, calm and inspires you to work on your relationships with friends and family. It can be especially helpful for the kids of this generation, who end up spending majority of their time with screens of one device or another.
5 Steps for a Digital Detox
- Make a list
The first step of solving any problem is to identify it, in its entirety. You can start by jotting down the list of digital or electronic devices that you usually are surrounded by. This could include – laptops, phones, tablets, television and so on. Next, you should make a list of things you enjoy doing which do not involve any of these devices. This could include – going on a holiday, jogging or any form of physical activity or a sport and so on. These two lists will be your guiding lights through your digital detox journey.
- Start slow, but stay consistent
Taking unachievable targets will not help you get anywhere. Hence, to begin with, choose one of the devices from your list and decide a time or a place (like the dining table or bedroom) where you will not use it. The important thing here is to ensure that you stick to your plan even if it is as small as not looking at your phone for 30 minutes in a day at the time of dinner. Once you feel that you are comfortable with this goal, you can gradually move on to banning more devices for a longer period of time.
- Take help and help others
Your digital detox journey will become much easier if you make your peers and family members a part of it. For instance, you can create “phone free zones” in your house wherein no person is allowed to carry their mobile phones and all make conscious effort to indulge in real conversations. You can especially restrict phones during lunch and dinner time, also in bedrooms to ensure a good night’s sleep. Also, by encouraging others to refrain from being addicted to their devices, you will also feel more inspired in your digital detox journey.
- Reward yourself
It is a good idea to reward yourself through your digital detox journey to keep the motivation level up. Every time you achieve a goal, no matter how small it is, encourage yourself by doing something you like. For instance, the time you would have otherwise spent in looking at a screen with no real productivity or benefit, you can instead utilize to do something from the second list of things you compiled which you enjoy doing. This will help you to keep the momentum going.
- Prioritize your bed time
Many health researchers have pointed out that your sleep is one of the most affected things due to increase in use of technological devices. Make sure you turn off all screens at least 2-3 hours before going to bed. Most of us have a habit of watching a movie or a television show before sleeping, or just randomly, surfing through social networking websites – this has a negative impact on your sleep as it often distracts your mind and makes it harder to be at rest.
