Do you find yourself reaching for your phone every 2 minutes?
Do you feel like you’re addicted to scrolling through social media? Hopping from one feed to another or checking your social media accounts EVERY SINGLE TIME just to realize you’ve lost track of quality time.
If so, I just want you to know that you’re not alone. I’ve been there, In fact, everyone has been there.
But, do you know that it is necessary to stop, take a hiatus and consider the impact it has on your mental and physical well-being?
Research has it that taking a digital detox can have a positive impact on improving sleep to reducing stress levels. So if you’ve been feeling anxious and overwhelmed by your online life, maybe it’s best to press the ‘unplug’ button, and let’s see how this article can help you detox properly.
Digital detox is simply taking a break or disconnecting from using technological gadgets such as smartphones, laptops, computers, the internet, and social media generally.
Digital detox is taking a screen-free break, switching off, and going offline for a while, depending on your reason for doing so.
It’s necessary to take breaks from the digital world because you will have enough time to discover your true self and focus on the most important things.
It is also needed to balance the work-life, reduce stress, and improve your overall health.
Talking about overall health, taking a digital detox can help impact your life positively. Study has shown how staring at screens for hours can cause eye problems and headaches and also reduce the quality of sleep.
Furthermore, being online on social media can cause distractions from doing the things that are important and necessary.
Sitting on a spot for hours can result in sitting posture changes. It can cause back pain.
Before taking a digital detox or unplugging from the digital world, you need to have a solid understanding of what it’s about and the reasons why you want to.
The most effective strategy is to set specific and clear goals for your detox. For example, you might not want to detox completely and just take a no-social-media weekend or limit your social media use to just 20-30 minutes every day. Or you can turn on your flight mode or DND mode to avoid notifications that attract your attention.
If you decide to go off social media for a considerable amount of time, you can find alternative activities like taking a walk, reading books, and doing things you’d like to do to replace the time you spend online.
People often get scared and have concerns when they hear about digital detox or unplugging.
For example:
- Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO): Many people are concerned about missing out on important events, and updates when they unplug. However, the truth is whether or not you see the latest updates on time or not they will always be there for you to watch and see. With the help of AI and chatbots, I doubt it’ll be hard to miss messages because you can set automated responses to help you reply quickly, telling them you’re currently not available.
- The feeling of isolation. People worry that when they unplug, they feel isolated and disconnected. The good side is, this can give them time to adjust their life and spend quality time with family and friends or engage in activities that’ll help them get better, like going for drives, going to amusement parks, taking pictures and watching movies.
- Fear of being unproductive. Taking a digital break can help unveil your creativity and help you become more productive. You can focus more on activities that boost your overall well-being while on detoxes, like painting, cooking, journaling, and meditating.
In today’s hyper-connected world, it’s easy to get lost and forget yourself in this world of technology that is always filled with updates and communication. Taking a digital detox, however, can help you disconnect with that world and reconnect with yourself.
The advantages and benefits of unplugging are clear and this article is to inspire you to make positive changes in your life. Take steps towards a healthier and more balanced relationship with technology.
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