Digital Detox: How to Unplug and Boost Your Mental Health

Technology is constantly advancing and changing, and we are always trying to stay one step ahead of the game and track all of our alerts, notifications, and information. Sometimes, though, it may be more necessary to step away from it.

The digital world can damage our mental faculties and make daily life more difficult. Keeping up with personal connections and relationships and being present in the here and now can become challenging with the pull of digital technology, and it drastically affects our physical and mental health.

Taking a break from technology can be essential to providing relief and boosting our mental health. Here’s all you need to know about unplugging and implementing a digital detox to restore your mental well-being and remove the stressful demands and distractions from technology.

What is a Digital Detox?

A digital detox is a period of complete removal (or at least a more intentional time reduction) from electronic devices and technology. It involves keeping yourself away from your tablet, television, computer, smartphone, or other device and focusing on doing more activities in the moment.

Limiting or entirely removing these things is what most people commonly avoid during digital detoxes, which include:

Text messaging
Emails
Video games
Television
Smartphones
Laptops
Tablets
Computers

If you work in an office or on a computer daily, you may have to modify your detox. If you can, keep work-related tasks the only things you do that involve digital technology and stay off of it for the rest of the time.

Digital detoxes have significant effects on mental health. They help reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep, and increase overall life satisfaction. They also help reduce addiction to social media and smartphones.

Why Need a Digital Detox?

The need for a digital detox stems from your constant reliance on technology. Suppose you find yourself wasting time aimlessly scrolling social media on your phone, texting multitudes of people throughout the day, or obsessing over your email inbox. In that case, you may benefit by investing your time in a detox to get more in touch with your surroundings.

Technology can lead to a disconnect from the real world. With its constant alerts and never-ending streams of data and information, it can overload our systems, contributing to stress and anxiety.

Another reason a digital detox is necessary is when you find that you’re not able to focus on one task at a time. Technology promotes multi-tasking, but it’s not easy for our brains to stay engaged and focused on so many things simultaneously, so detaching from those digital distractions can help improve concentration and productivity.

Types of Digital Detoxes

You must plan out your digital detox, and working with a planner is a great way to accomplish this. You can write everything down, including goals, and also set up the type of detox you plan to follow. There are varying types of detoxes that you can do, so you should choose one to work on at a time.

Social Media Detox

This detox is self-explanatory. It involves removing, blocking, or temporarily staying off of social media apps, channels, and platforms. You actively step away for a specified period and allow yourself to focus on your relationships, create meaningful and in-person connections, and avoid falling into the rabbit hole of people’s endless opinions.

Digital-Free Weekends

If you work on a computer, it’s not possible to do a complete digital detox. However, you can opt for digitally-free weekends, perhaps, or a day or two off during the week depending on your job-type schedule, where you immerse yourself in other activities that don’t involve any type of digital device. Spending quality time with your friends or family, getting outdoors for a hike or walk in nature, or going with the family to a fun social gathering or event without the need to be on your phone are great ways to spend your weekends.

Technology Sabbaticals

If you need a longer and more extended break, you can do what’s commonly known as a digital sabbatical. It involves completely disconnecting from all digital devices for a certain length of time, such as a week or a month.

Once you free yourself from those devices, you may feel less anxious and stressed, get better sleep, and even have a transformative experience. No matter which type of detox you choose, having a plan in place is helpful so you can more easily stick to it.

How to Unplug and Digital Detox

You might not know where to begin when you’re ready to start a digital detox. It can be helpful if you live with others to include the entire family in your detox, and in doing so, you may need to write things down in a family organization planner.

Your primary goal is to set boundaries and goals to benefit from the detox and ensure that you’re getting the most out of your time away from screens. Here are some steps to set up your ideal digital detox.

Setting Goals

Whatever you hope to accomplish with your detox, write it down! Consider including some of the following objectives within your detox:

Refrain from a specific type of technology (i.e., don’t obsessively check texts/emails).
Disconnect from social media platforms and channels.
Limit your daily screen time to work hours or give yourself a set amount of time.

Your goals might also include activities or things you’d like to do instead, such as:

Take walks outside or be in nature
Play games with family members or friends
Involve yourself in social events
Reading a book from start to finish
Exercising or eating healthier meals
Self-care activities
Start a new hobby

The more intentional you are with your time, the more likely you are to accomplish what you set out to do. You might want to start with something simple, such as having your morning coffee outdoors without devices. Whatever your intention, it can help increase your focus, bring you more into the present moment, maintain a positive mindset, and ultimately achieve your goals.

Create a Digital-Free Environment

Another aspect of a digital detox is freeing yourself from whatever digital devices or distractions are around. Designate specific times and remove all the devices from that area of the home (such as your dining room or bedroom). This way, during mealtimes or on weekends when you’re not working, for example, no technology is around to distract you.

Removing Social Media Apps and Channels

One more way to successfully complete a digital detox is by temporarily blocking or removing apps from your devices. This can encourage you to break the habits of mindless scrolling and free up time for more worthwhile activities.

Benefits of a Digital Detox

After you complete the digital detox, evaluate yourself and be mindful when reintroducing or bringing back technology. You may want to establish boundaries, develop healthier habits, and prevent yourself from returning to mindless digital distractions.

Your mental wellness improves when you feel less overwhelmed and anxious about things. Acknowledging technology’s negative impact on our minds can be helpful. Note if you’ve improved your overall mood, sleep patterns, or productivity.

Be sure to continue to include the activities that made you feel more connected and happy and contributed to your mental health. It may have been taking a nature walk, deepening connections with friends and family in conversation, engaging in meditation or mindfulness, embracing more quiet moments, or practicing more self-care.

The goal is to find a healthy balance between unplugging and using technology frivolously. Strive to use technology with more intention and in ways that can help to enhance your life.

Team Credits:

Written by Nicole McCray, https://www.nicolemccray.com/

Edited by Holly Glasser, @hollyglasser of @mithmagazine