How To Do a Digital Detox

Are you ready to invigorate your life by taking a digital detox? The average person spends a significant amount of time each day checking their digital devices. This is not distracting but often leads to overwhelm and mental stress. The stress that this can cause can actually be of detriment to the immune system leaving us feeling run down and prone to illness. It should go without saying that the health of your immune system should always be a priority, but this is often not the case. There are many things that you can do to support the health of your immune system such as a varied healthy diet and the elimination of stress from your life. Disconnecting from the stream of information that goes hand in hand with digital devices can go a long way to reducing this stress.

The seemingly endless stream of information we invite in our lives via our smart phones and devices can be exhausting, and what is it worth really? A lot of the information we are observing is pointless, unnecessary or can simply wait until later. We all have the power to limit the number of interruptions that are caused to our day by our digital devices. By taking control of our time in this way, we can reclaim our brain power and make our days more fulfilling and meaningful instead.

A digital detox can quickly help you to recharge mentally and physically and reconnect with yourself in many ways. As you regularly embrace the concept of detoxing from all things digital, you will notice your mood improves, your concentration returns, and you have much more clarity and focus to get on with the things that are actually important.

If you are the kind of person who reaches for their smart phone before even getting out of bed in the morning or falls asleep with your laptop in bed next to you, then the time to detox has surely arrived!

One of the first things that you should do is commit to not checking your emails and other messages until your workday has actually begun.

I also recommend not engaging with any kind of digital entertainment, such as television, radio or the computer while you are trying to get ready to leave the house in the morning.

By switching all of these things off you will be creating a sense of calm and you can start your day with the right foot forwards.

Meditation can take many forms and does not have to involve sitting down surrounded by candles or chanting the afternoon away. Simply opting for 10-20 minutes of silence daily where your digital devices are strictly not invited will help you to rebalance yourself. You can use this silence time to check in with your thoughts, reflect on recent events or simply concentrate on your breathing.

If you can find the time to do this in the morning, during the day and again in the evening then you will really be helping your mind to rebalance and recharge.

The modern age of technology has many of us a bit confused as to what our obligations are when it comes to being switched on. You may find that your boss or co-workers email you out of work hours, which is of course their prerogative. However, unless specifically agreed otherwise, you are under no obligation to communicate with these people in your free time. When you start to respond to emails outside of business hours you begin to set a precedent and the boundaries between office time and free time can quickly become blurred. Take charge of your own time by switching off from work entirely the moment that you leave the office.

When you spend a large amount of time attached to a screen, you are often unwittingly putting up barriers between you and those you are physically spending time with. When you are in the company of other people and you remain connected to your phone, you are unconsciously announcing that you are more interested in the virtual world than the one that is happening around you, and this can be damaging to the health of your relationships and lead to feelings of isolation.

The good news is, we all have the power to limit the number of interruptions caused by our digital devices. So, let’s ditch those digital devices frequently to free up head space and use my advice to switch off.

DIGITAL DETOX EXERCISE

1. Commit to not checking your emails and other messages until your work day has actually begun.
2. Avoid engaging in any kind of digital entertainment, such as television, radio or the computer while you are trying to get ready to leave the house in the morning.
3. Switch off all your devices for ‘silent time’ for up to 20 minutes each day in order for you to relax and calm the mind.
4. Avoid answering work emails outside of office hours unless absolutely necessary.
5. Be truly present while you are in the company of friends and family but not checking your phone.