In our fast paced, 21st century lives, we are spending more and more time engaging through digital means.  Whether that is social media, scrolling short form content, or consuming endless information throughout the internet, we are plugged-in more than ever, but is this how our brains were meant to engage?

 

With the rise of mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and ADHD over the past 20 years, it seems like with all the conveniences of modern life, we are more stressed out and mentally ill than ever. I was a child of the 90’s and I remember being bored, waiting to watch my favorite shows on TV because they only came out once a week, and having all programming stop at midnight and be replaced by the waving American flag. There were built in regulators that don’t exist today with instant access to digital media in the palm of our hands. Most of us are on some sort of digital device from the moment we wake up until we go to bed with few breaks in between. While there is some research about the effects of constant digital use, we aren’t going to fully understand the effects for years to come.

 

What we do know is that studies suggest this increased exposure to digital media can lead to diminished attention spans, lack of impulse control, impaired emotional and social intelligence, poor memory, technology addiction and dependency, social isolation, and sleep disturbances. There are certainly positives to living in the digital age, like a greater chance for connection, sharing of ideas and content, and increased accessibility. Digital media and the internet are important parts of our lives that we have to learn to navigate to minimize the negative impacts, and doing a digital detox may be a way to manage digital use in a healthy way.

 

What is a digital detox?

 

A digital detox is when you intentionally refrain from the use of digital devices or media for a certain amount of time in order to improve focus, memory, decrease stress and anxiety, and experience more presence and satisfaction in your life. While western culture urges us to multitask constantly, our brain health is paying the price.

 

There are several ways you can engage in a digital detox and there is no right or wrong way to do it. You can decide to limit:

·      Social Media Use

·      Internet Use

·      All electronic devices including television and radios

·      All digital media and electronic devices (which is what I chose to do)

 

You can also determine the amount of time you would like to refrain from digital media or devices, and this can range from a few hours to days or even an extended month-long digital blackout.

 

My Digital Detox Experience

I recently decided to do a two-day digital detox because I’ve been feeling bored and disconnected, despite seemingly having more fun than ever through travel and my professional work. I’ve done a couple of these intentional detoxes in the past, but I hadn’t done one since before 2020, so I was LONG overdue!  I don’t really have an issue with mindless scrolling, but I am a bottomless pit for research and knowledge. I can spend hours going down one rabbit-hole or another, obsessively consuming information and listening to podcasts or watching informational YouTube videos for hours. I am CONSTANTLY seeking out information. I noticed over the past few months that I had been feeling increasingly overwhelmed. I felt like I was doing more and accomplishing less, and I just wanted a reset.

 

I decided I wanted to do a full detox from all electronics, including music on the radio. Part of what contributes to memory issues and lack of attention span with increased digital media use is related to constant multitasking and lack of focus on one thing at a time. Our brains were never meant to be bombarded with so much sensory input all the time, so on a Saturday morning I put my phone away, hid the remote control, and started my detox.

 

 I’m not going to lie, the usual Saturday morning tasks of laundry, dishes, and straightening the house were definitely less enjoyable without the familiar music or podcast playing in the background. I was forced to do tasks I don’t enjoy and not distract myself. I pride myself on “never being bored” and always being able to find things I’m interested in, but almost immediately, I noticed how much I rely on digital means to stave off boredom, which Is really just distracting me from the uncomfortable experience of being “bored” and restless. I had decided beforehand that I could read, work-out, journal, or do household chores/play analog games with my son, but nothing that was too taxing and no multitasking. Part of the benefits of a digital detox comes from being more present and in-the-moment.

 

After finishing household chores, I was definitely feeling some FOMO (fear of missing out) wondering what was going on with my friends or on social media or what I might be missing. This particular character trait is one I have had my whole life, but I didn’t realize how entertaining social media is for me when I just want to know “what’s going on” and how important this “pseudo-connection” is for me. While journaling, I was asking myself some hard questions about WHY I’m always seeking new information (imposter syndrome, is that you), what real connection means to me, and exactly what would happen if I wasn’t available, or constantly tapped in via electronic devices (spoiler alert, nothing…)

 

With not much to do and no pre-made plans, I took the best nap I have had in years! I knew that no one would be texting me or would need to get ahold of me. I wasn’t putting off sleep by scrolling, reading, or watching videos online. I wasn’t Face Timing or texting. By the time I woke up, I was no longer wondering what was going on in the digital world and I didn’t feel bored anymore either. I colored, painted, sat outside in the sunshine, played Monopoly all the way through with my family, read, ate, did my skin care. I felt nothing pulling me in any direction at all. I was focused and presently in-the-zone in all my tasks. I slept like a baby Saturday night. Sunday, I was actually dreading having to return to my digital responsibilities of emails, marketing, and content creation. I felt myself wishing that I could do a week-long or month-long digital detox! I used the rest of the day to goal plan and work on identifying exactly where I want my energy to go over the next week, month, and three months. I felt grounded and centered after a longer than usual meditation time, and by Sunday evening, I started responding to non-urgent texts and logged into social media briefly, to answer any business-related messages.

 

Since my detox ended, I have been conscious of my electronic usage. I have spent most of my time online either creating something or doing something business related. I have almost finished the book I started over the weekend and because I have been so much more focused, I feel like I have been uber productive, and even writing this now, my attention span is better than it has been all year.

 

You should consider a digital detox if you want to:

 

1.     Increase focus and attention.

 

Short form video content has reduced our attention span to 8 second sound bites. Intentionally unplugging from electronic devices and constant stimulation allows us to practice extending our attention and focus. Just like any muscle we work, we can increase attention and focus by purposefully challenging ourselves.

 

 

2.     Experience less anxiety about the need to be available and “connected all the time.

 

Feeling anxiety to respond quickly or dread about having to respond take an invisible emotional toll on us daily. Most of us have legitimate responsibilities and people who rely on us, but since we are all so easily accessible, it can be easy to fall into the trap of feeling a need to be easily accessible to everyone, all of the time. When we don’t have boundaries around access through social media or electronic devices, it can leave us feeling drained and then we don’t have enough reserves left to be accessible to the people and causes that mean the most in our lives.

 

3.     Feel more grounded and centered with increased intentionality in life.

 

There were times during my digital detox when I felt bored and lonely. I had to purposefully work to stay grounded and present with my feelings. I used journaling to help and afterwards I had an increased sense of feeling grounded and with greater clarity about what I wanted my INTENTIONAL relationship with digital media to look like. I don’t think it will ever be realistic for me to denounce digital media and electronics completely, but I am practicing being aware of the time spent using it, and what I may be avoiding dealing with by doing so.

 

4.     Increase productivity and decrease stress.

 

I was amazed by how much I felt like I accomplished over the weekend. I had plenty of downtime, completed all of my weekend responsibilities, and had time to REALLY connect with myself and my family. I didn’t feel the stress of comparing myself to what others may be doing and I think being present an able to focus on one task at a time allowed me to finish something without being interrupted by a notification or

 

5.     Sleep better.

 

Without exposure to blue light at bedtime or all throughout the day, I noticed I was ready to go to sleep, and slept more soundly. I was also able to wake and fall back to sleep easily since I wasn’t reaching for my phone to soothe me back to sleep (does that ever really work?)

 

 

6.     Experience increased creativity and motivation.

 

We need freedom to foster creativity and imagination. W are not “free” when we are being pulled by the draw of dopamine production to engage in using digital devices. At that point, we are a slave to the devices and conveniences that are supposed to make life easier and allow us to know more. Knowing will never be experiencing. We can watch other people’s life and absorb information all day long via a screen, but it will never substitute the lifeforce that is lived experience! Experience (whether positive or negative) helps give us drive to do and want more. Having experiences helps us ignite our creativity by being exposed to novel things (a need our brains crave).

 

7.     Improve in-person relationships and foster true connection.

 

Eliminating the distraction of digital influences allows us to be more present and connect more fully with the people who mean the most to us. It can be so easy to isolate ourselves because we have the whole world in the palm of our hands through connection to the internet. Often, even sitting in the same room with another person, we aren’t intentionally connecting.  Not having the electronic buffer encourages talking, playing, sharing interests, and creating special memories that can strengthen bonds.

 

 

8.     Feel happier and less bored with the mundane parts of life.

 

Social media, video games, and electronic devices are designed to be addictive and keep us coming back for more and more dopamine. Detoxing from that level of reward system conditioning acts as a brain re-set and can help us get more enjoyment out of life. When we seek to get our dopamine “fix” from scrolling or highly stimulating video games, overtime, we need more and more stimulation to get the same results. This means that before long you are feeling bored and dissatisfied with the thing that used to bring some excitement, happiness, or curb boredom. Purposefully engaging in slower paced, less stimulating sensory experiences can allow us to feel happier and less bored with the day-to-day parts of being a human.

 

9.     Increase your physical health.

 

When entertainment isn’t conveniently at your fingertips, you may just find yourself wanting to connect with nature more, having more time for that walk, or going to the gym. Taking a break from digital over-use can also reduce stress and stress hormones that contribute to physical health symptoms. You may also find that you just have more motivation in general to be an active participant in your life instead of watching life unfold on your phone.

 

 

10.  Better overall mental health and satisfaction.

One of the things I noticed most after my detox was how much better I felt overall. I felt like I was more present throughout the weekend and did more things that actually fill my emotional cup instead of hours wasted using electronics with only the feeling of dissatisfaction to show.

 

 

How to Get Started with a Digital Detox

 

Here are a few ideas of ways you can limit your exposure to electronics and digital media, even if you’re not ready to go cold-turkey for a weekend (or longer.)

 

·      Start with just limiting one source of digital media (social media, YouTube).

·      Shorter time frames (maybe a couple of hours of digital media free time to start.)

·      Have your friends or family join in to increase accountability.

 

What is holding you back from committing to a digital detox? If you’re avoiding unsettling thoughts or feelings or using social media and digital devices to “numb out” this may be something that could be addressed in therapy. If you would like to get started with one of our therapists, visit our contact page.

 

Let me know in the comments if you have ever done a digital detox or think you may plan to do one. I would love to hear about your experiences as I continue to look for more ways to balance my own digital media use!

 

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