|
Using technology and screens is practically unavoidable in today’s world. Most of our jobs even require us to use a phone, tablet, or computer to perform some, if not all, of our daily tasks, and then many of us head home and spend even more time looking at screens. Spending too much time on digital devices and staring at screens for too long each day though could be causing you extra stress and a negative effect on your life. Instead, deciding and planning to engage in a digital detox has become a popular way to take a break for a period of time, help break some unhealthy habits, and can help relieve some of that stress in your life among other benefits.
Engaging in a digital detox and taking a break from your phone, TV, or other devices like your computer or video game systems can have many positive effects on your stress level, your mood, and even your health. With a mass amount of news stories, articles, videos, and social media content in the digital world these days being in short-form format and with constant notifications popping up, it may be quicker for our brains to digest these tid-bits of information, but it may also be affecting your brain in ways you don’t realize. Many people who overindulge in screen time experience feelings of frustration or irritability in being unable to concentrate for long periods of time and feel their attention span is shorter. By starting to limit your screen time through a digital detox, over time people have expressed feeling that they again can concentrate better and feel their attention span is longer without so much information overload and constant notifications.
Also, the more you limit your screen time, the more time you have for other people and activities. You’ll be able to spend more time with family and friends, and without a screen to compete with for attention, you can connect more, converse more, or share an activity or experience together. And by limiting texting as well, you’ll be more likely to give someone a call and have a meaningful conversation with them rather than just a quick text. For many people, this feeling of a better, stronger connection with others outweighs the feeling digital content, TV, or video games can give them.
And with more free time, you’ll also have more time for not just other people but for yourself too. Many people find that if they do an activity, they feel more accomplished than if they spent the same amount of time on a digital device. You could enjoy doing a craft, reading a book, enjoying a hobby, or exercising. Engaging in these types of activities away from screens can help improve your mood, experience less stress, and even improve your health.
By having more time to exercise throughout the week, your physical health can also improve. Living a more active lifestyle can help lower your risk for common health issues like obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes that are related to a sedentary lifestyle, and for some, limit mindless, unhealthy snacking too. Limiting screen usage at night can also help your sleep health. By not exposing yourself to excess light from a screen late at night, this won’t disrupt melatonin production which can affect your circadian rhythm and cause it to be difficult to fall asleep and get enough quality sleep. And not having your phone in the bedroom with you can help you stay asleep rather than be woken up throughout the night by notifications.
All of these benefits, better focus and concentration, more meaningful social interactions, more time for personal activities and exercise, and better sleep, can help you feel less stressed in your daily life and help improve your overall mood and health. It can be hard, though, to break away from habits when it comes to using your phone and technology. So how do you do a digital detox?
The first part of a digital detox is to decide on what you want to change. Maybe you feel you spend too much time on news sites, social media, or playing video games. Start by deciding what change you’d like to try making and then create a related goal to work towards. You might decide to start small rather than try to make too drastic of a change at first. Your goal might be to limit how many times you check your phone a day or how many hours you spend online at a time. Setting daily limits, turning off notifications, and excluding your phone from meal times or the bedroom can be a good goal to start with. You should also give yourself time to achieve your goal. Changing a habit is not an easy thing for most people, so try giving yourself at least two weeks to break your habit and consistently achieve your daily goal. You can even gather support from family and friends by letting them know about your digital detox goal.
After you’ve given yourself two weeks or more, assess your progress and see how it went. Were you fully able to achieve your goal? Have you noticed a change at all in how you feel throughout the day or are you sleeping better? Just beware of swapping one digital habit for another (like checking Instagram instead of Facebook). Finally, decide if you’d like to make this digital detox a long-term change and if you’d like to take it a step even further and make a new digital detox goal.
Technology is a necessity in today’s world and can be very helpful and useful, but we shouldn’t let it cause us unneeded stress or negative affects by overusing it. Try planning a digital detox today to find out how much less stressed you can feel by taking a break and breaking some digital habits.
| 
