Get tips and tricks on how to do a digital detox so that you can feel more relaxed and emotionally stable by the end of the day. Learn how to opt for slow living with these ideas!
Everyone needs a break from the world every once in a while.
If you’ve read any of my posts on the subject, you will know that I love today’s modern technology, but that I am very wary of its dangers, as well.
Digital technology has allowed for so many amazing advancements in the world, but it has also been the cause of many new problems.
One of those problems is the state of our mental health.
It’s nice to be aware of what’s going on in the world.
Being able to stay connected with friends and family that are far away has allowed for so much flexibility with where we choose to live. And the entertainment available to us today is just INCREDIBLE!
But sometimes I wonder if our minds are built to have access to so much information.
It is sometimes concerning to me that we are all too aware of what is happening in other people’s lives. We get inaccurate pictures of how other people are doing and we often end up feeling like we are falling short.
Our digital technology never gives us a chance to just stop and be where we are anymore.
But how can you stop that information overload?
How can you create a space for a quieter mind?
Today, I want to share some ideas on how to do a digital detox when you’re overwhelmed to give yourself a short break from all the noise.
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Is digital detox effective?
Short answer? Yes!
A digital detox will help give your brain a break from the constant connection in the world- something that generations from long ago have never had to deal with.
These are some of the things that studies have shown a digital detox can help you:
- lower your stress levels
- sleep better at night
- improve your posture
- feel more satisfied with your life
- take a real break and disconnect from work
- improve your mental health
I don’t believe that anyone needs to consider signs to indicate that they need a digital detox.
I think every human being could benefit from a digital detox, no matter how much they currently use devices.
Now that we know this is something we want to do, it’s time to decide how frequently we should be doing it.
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How often should I do a social media detox for mindfulness? How long should I social media detox?
This is where you need to decide for yourself how regular you want your digital detox to be.
For example, I’ve attempted doing a 24-hour detox once a week but I’ve also tried doing a social media detox for one designated hour every day. I’ve also known people who have done social media detoxes for a month.
You’ll have to experiment to see what reaps the most reward.
If you consider yourself someone who is highly addicted to your devices, I would recommend starting small.
Don’t attempt a social media detox that you don’t think you will be able to do or that you know will just make you more stressed.
If an hour detox a day is all you can start with, then do that. Start small and work your way up to longer detoxes.
For example, I feel confident I can manage a full day without digital devices, but a week? I’m not so sure about that.
For this reason, I will not be aiming for such a lofty goal.
Don’t compare yourself with other people; choose what is good for YOU alone.
If you’ve NEVER gone without your devices before, I might recommend a 4-5 hour digital detox to start with.
From there, you could gauge where you stand.
If you thought it was easy, increase the time next week. If you thought it was incredibly difficult, try less time next week.
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How do you prepare for a Digital Detox?
Yes, you need to prepare, and let me tell you why.
If you don’t plan ahead how you are going to succeed, you will end up 30 minutes into your detox already lying on the floor, bored out of your mind.
I can promise you that without a plan, you will just end up crawling back to your devices, defeated and utterly addicted.
Planning is a big part of how to do a social media detox.
It takes incredible willpower to simply give up something.
Instead, you need to choose something that can replace whatever you’re giving up. This way, you won’t be so tempted to grab the thing you are missing.
With that being said, let’s go over a few things you can do in preparation for your detox:
Tell others about your plan to go tech-free for mindfulness
It helps to have people who know about your goals.
This way, they can hold you accountable for your decision. They can also try to keep temptations away from you.
Make a schedule for your detox time
Keep in mind that this is not a schedule that you have to stick to.
This is just an emergency plan in case you start your detox and can’t think of anything to do.
If this happens, you can just follow the schedule until you think of something else you’d like to do more.
Finish any work BEFORE the detox
Make sure all of your pressing work gets finished before the detox.
It will help you feel more confident that you will not need your phone or computer for anything during that time.
Decide where you will put your devices
For most people, it helps to put your devices somewhere you can’t see so that you aren’t tempted to use them at all.
Before your social media detox, try to find a place that is out of sight for your devices wherever possible.
Want more help with your device addictions? Read about how to use your phone with more intention and how to spend less time watching television.
What do you do during digital detox?
There are so many great things you can do on a digital detox day. I want to give you 25 ideas here so that you’ve got some options to keep you from ending your mindful digital detox early.
- Go to a social event
- Invite friends over
- Do arts and crafts
- Take time to write in a journal
- Take time to reflect on different things in your life
- Connect with family or friends you haven’t seen in a while
- Write a letter to someone
- Make plans in an agenda
- Bullet journal
- Go for a run
- Go to a gym class
- Do restorative yoga
- Go for a hike or walk in nature
- Play a musical instrument
- Read a book or a magazine
- Take a nap, or simply lounge for a while
- Play a board game
- Do a puzzle
- Try a mind game like Sudoku or a crossword puzzle
- Cook a new recipe
- Have a picnic
- Have a spa day
- Build something
- Go out for a nice meal or a drink
- Meditate
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My Example Detox Routine to Improve your Mental Health and Cleanse Your Mind
I want to share with you what I have been doing on my Sundays to detox. On a normal day, I wake up at 8 and go to bed at midnight. This is what my day looks like on a Sunday digital detox day:
9:00 | Wake Up | I don’t use my alarm on my phone, so I just wake up when my body wants me to get up.
9:15 | Start Getting Ready | This includes a quick hygiene routine and making breakfast.
10:00 | Go to Church | Normally, I would physically go, but with Covid, we do have to use a computer to watch the sermon. I do not consider this digital connection, since it’s exactly what I would be watching if I physically went to church.
11:00 | Do a Bible Study and Morning Pages | I like to take a lot of time for reflection. You can also learn how to do morning pages and how to do a Bible study independently.
12:30 | Lunch Time | When I can, eating outside is very enjoyable!
1:30 | Spend Time with Family and Friends | This activity is the easiest way to use up all of your detox time. Other people really help to move the time along. Sometimes we simply make conversation, but other times we play board games.
4:00 | Go on a long walk | Sometimes I will find a place I want to visit while I’m out. I might stop for ice cream or get a drink somewhere. Other times I bring a book and read in the park.
5:30 | Make Dinner
6:30 | Yoga |(Normally, I like to use yoga videos, but on this day, I just try to listen to what my body wants and follow those instincts.
8:00 | Take a Calming Bath | Doing something spa-like is a really easy way to spend your time.
9:00 | Enjoy a special dessert | Take time to make it look really yummy!
9:30 | Make plans for the week | I like to do a Brain Dump before writing out my plans for the week.
10:00 | Work on a Puzzle | Any activity that calms anxiety and worry is a good thing to do, really!
10:30 | Get ready for bed | Read my post about how to get better sleep at night to learn how to get ready for bed the right way.
11:00 | Read | I like to read in bed. This way, I can read until my eyes get too heavy and I can just fall asleep right then and there. It is always such a nice way to end the day.
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Extra Notes
My day doesn’t go like this every time.
For those of you who feel like you’d need A LOT more activity than this, I would highly recommend a nature outing. It’s very easy to spend time outside without getting bored.
For me, though, I like to let my body slow down.
I do everything at a slower pace on this day to remind me that life doesn’t always have to run at high speed.
I like being reminded that there is nothing wrong with lounging around and doing next to nothing every once in a while.
Over time, I actually find myself feeling very proud of the fact that I can do nothing for a whole day without feeling like a failure.
It is not easy, especially in this current age where productivity is seen as the most important thing to reach for.
Life can stand still and remain beautiful.
It’s not always about how much you achieved that day, and it’s time we started recognizing that.
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I hope that this information can not only encourage you to do your own digital detox but can encourage you to press “pause” on your life every once in a while and improve your mental health.
Don’t let anyone tell you that you have to be productive at all hours of every day.
There is beauty in the simple things in life, and you will get a lot more out of your own life if you take time to enjoy those simple things every once in a while.
So go ahead!
Put away the phone, turn off the television, ignore the busy tasks of life, and take some time to simply be where you are as you are, guilt-free!
Have you ever tried a digital detox before? What did you do on that day?
I JUST WATCHED THE SOCIAL DILEMMA AND IT MAKES M WANT TO TAKE THE LONGEST SOCIAL MEDIA DETOX! I LOVE ESCAPING BY READING TOO.
haha movies like that always make me want a social media detox, too! Thanks for the comment! 🙂
Wow, this was definitely needed for me to read! I need to do a digital detox and I’ve been putting it off. It’s hard working from home and continuously attached to electronics. Thank you for the advice!
Alyssa, I totally agree with you! It can be so hard to break away from digital devices already, but it is even harder when you work from home and often need to be attached to those devices at odd hours. I’m glad the ideas could help! And thanks for commenting! 🙂
I just watched The Social Dilemma and I’m now trying to be more mindful of my screen time! It’s so addicting like you said, and I’ve realized I tend to grab for my phone without thinking about it and mindlessly scrolling. Thanks for all the tips!
Yes, I totally get that! I remember when my phone usage was so bad that I used to open up my phone constantly to “check the time”, when I really just wanted to wander around on my phone. Thanks for the comment! 🙂
These are wonderful reminders and tips! And, thanks for sharing what your ‘day in life’ looks like. It’s totally realistic and sounds amazingly indulgent — in the best way!
I’m glad the ‘day in the life’ was helpful! Obviously, not every Sunday can go that way, but it’s pretty special when it does! 🙂 Thanks so much for the comment!
Last month, my husband and I did a digital detox for a full 24 hours. We planned in advance and had a wonderful day! I got up early and baked while listening to music (i had written down a recipe and spoke to my phone to turn on the music) and then we grabbed books, packed a lunch, and went to an outdoor park to just sit and read for hours. Then we went to a brewery with my parents. It was such a peaceful day and I hadn’t felt that peaceful in years. I need more days like that, for sure! You have great suggestions here!
Stephanie, that sounds like an amazing day! Like you, I definitely think it’s important to plan those days in advance. Otherwise you run the risk of not knowing what to do at all! Sitting and reading in the park has got to be one of my all-time favourite activites. Peaceful is certainly a good way to describe a good digital detox day. 🙂 Thanks for the comment and for your own great suggestions!
I completely agree that a digital detox is so important to get a well earned break. I burn out all too often, so I always try and carve out a bit of my day for self care. Spa days are great.
Yes! Spa days are another great activity for digital detox days. That’s great that you are so intentional about carving out time for self care. It’s so important! Thanks for commenting! 🙂
Great and Detailed post. I guess i am an unusual person that I don’t feel overwhelmed by technology or social media. I take it or leave it as it works for me. Years ago i gave up almost all TV news – that was a good change. I leave my phone off and on do not disturb almost always. I have all my notifications off except from my direct family. i enjoy the connection I get from social networks but I can set down my phone and walk away with no stress. I was without internet over the summer for days at a time and it was fine. I loved that time because it was great but i didn’t feel a relief from not having it because it doesn’t actually stress me out.
Amy, it is such a wonderful skill to be able to set boundaries the way you do on your phone! I have also had the realization that following the news wasn’t great for me. Making sure that your phone is not sending notifications at all hours of the day is a great suggestion to maintain a sense of balance even when we are using our phones regularly. I agree that it removes a lot of the stress from the day. Thanks for your comments and for your own ideas! They’re great! 🙂
i think this is so important! We all need a break from social media for a bit. It’s best for our mental health
Absolutely, Krissy! I love that you mentioned the mental health aspect of a social media break. It is so important! Thanks for the comment! 🙂
i love this! I always try to stay away from social media especially at least once a week 🙂 it is definitely amazing for your mental health!
I agree, I feel like once a week is a good goal to aim for, even if it’s not for a full 24 hours. We need a break from being so connected! Thanks for the comment! 🙂