Regain Your Life With A Digital Detox
When was the last time you left your home without your phone? Or watched a TV show without Googling that one actor's wedding in Hawaii mid-episode? Or waited in line somewhere and literally just waited, without so much as a 'gram or wordle to distract you? We've become so attached to our phones, it nearly induces physical anxiety to imagine these scenarios.
Sure, we can joke about being addicted to our phones, but the reality is this addiction can actually have some pretty serious consequences, like anxiety, depression, insomnia, an inability to maintain healthy relationships, and a decline in performance at school or work.
Many have turned to digital detoxes in an effort to curb their scrolling, but new research is showing that a day off or even a week off here and there simply isn't enough.
“You really have to figure out how to take breaks within the realities of your daily life,” said Adam Gazzaley, a professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco. Like any other habit, he says, “it basically takes repetition and sort of baby-stepping into it.”
Start by turning off notifications so you're not receiving constant interruptions. Next, set aside an hour each day for single-task time, meaning your phone is off, and you're focusing entirely on one task. This can be work, but it'll be even better for your wellbeing if it's a relaxing and enjoyable activity. It's also good to put physical space between yourself and your phone when you're not using it (especially at night—who needs a phone of all things interrupting their sleep?). Checking phones is subconscious for some, but when it's in another room, you won't be able to act on that reflex.
“It’s sort of like a reframing rather than a detox,” Gazzaley said. “It’s not that you just do it completely. You do it a little bit at a time.”
There are so many devices and apps that can ease the transition to lessen your dependency. For example, The Aro is a new app and device that gamifies disconnecting, making downtime away from your phone even more rewarding.
You send all your calls to voicemail, so go ahead and let those notifications pile up too.
