While technology is certainly wonderful and useful in many ways, it’s also important to disconnect from the digital world. Honestly, we could all benefit from intentionally taking a digital detox on a regular basis. After all, there are so many reasons to unplug and step away from the screen for a little while. Perhaps, for an hour or two a day, as you’re waking up and getting ready for bed. Or even for an entire day or weekend. Heck, there are arguably reasons to unplug and take a week-long digital detox if it’s possible for you. Even, and especially, if you work from your phone, tablet, and desktop.
Certainly, you’ll never regret silencing your notifications, closing the laptop, and shutting off the TV. Especially once the benefits from living life unplugged, even if just for a few hours at a time, start flooding more joy into your life. Heck, you just might want to make regular digital detoxes a regular part of your routine once you notice how good it feels to live life untethered by your Wi-Fi connection or data plan. Surely, you don’t have to give up technology entirely, unless you genuinely want to. But it’s important to give yourself a break from the blue light from time to time.
Giving Your Eyes, Neck, and Back A Break
It’s no secret that looking at a screen for long periods of time isn’t great for your eyes. Even if you’re not particularly sensitive to blue light, your eyes still may become strained from the long periods of focus on a relatively close, bright screen. Especially when you’re so focused that your blink rate becomes minimal and your eyes get a bit dry. We’ve all looked away from our screens and suddenly noticed our eyes were tired. Not to mention that our necks and backs were achy from the hunched-over position from which we view our phones and tablets. Or even from the way we began to hunch or crumple up at our desk. Or even on the couch.
Certainly, the positions we sit in when we’re watching TV, gaming, scrolling, or working at the computer feel cozy in the moment. But we all know we’re not meant to be looking down at our phones for long periods of time. Or to collapse into the couch watching TV all night. Or even to be sitting in a chair all day, for that matter. Even if we may not notice it until we tune into the soreness in our necks and backs. Or the dryness in our eyes. But honestly, it’s one of the biggest reasons to unplug and let your body uncrumple from the constant sitting and looking down. And to give your eyes a break from the deep focus of your work, cozy gaming session, and late-night scrolls.
Unplugging Gives Your Mind A Break From Constant Input
While it’s quite wonderful to have an unlimited amount of information and entertainment at your fingertips, it can quickly begin to feel like too much. We’ve all been in that situation where multiple people were texting us at once, and we don’t even know who to respond to first. Or there are so many trending topics we want to browse at once that it’s overwhelming. Or we don’t know which article to read first, and we know we can’t read them all. Technology can be quite overstimulating and overwhelming at times. Sometimes, to the point that we just freeze or doomscroll for far too long. Despite knowing our brains weren’t designed for constant stimulation.
Especially not late at night before bed, when we should be winding down, but we’ve fallen down a TikTok rabbit hole of true crime stories. Or when we’re trying to enjoy our lunch, but we’re scrolling through X to keep up with a rapidly unfolding story. Nor do we need to be trying to hold five conversations when we’re trying to enjoy a sheet mask. Sometimes? We need to let ourselves be bored, instead of looking for entertainment or stimulation on our phones. Or at least, engage in low-stimulation activities that allow us to truly unwind and focus on one task at a time. Especially when you know you want to read that book, or color that coloring page anyway.
So shut those notifications off. Close the laptop. Turn off the TV, and shut the music off. Let yourself have a quiet moment. Whether you choose to simply sit there and just observe, or pick up an activity that you often put off to scroll.
Relieving Stress, Anxiety, and Overall Improving Your Mental Health
First things first, I’d like to be clear that technology isn’t inherently bad for your mental health. Especially as it can bring so much connection, joy, and entertainment into your life. However, too much of anything isn’t great for any of us. And the constant stream of information and updates isn’t just overstimulating, but it can potentially take a toll on you mentally. After all, it’s hard to watch the constant horrific headlines pouring in through our TV screens, and the endless stream of social media posts on the matter. And we’ve all gotten worked up over current events that we honestly have little to no control over.
Which are also being blown out of proportion for clicks and viewership, mind you. Those emotional and rage-baiting headlines are designed to keep you watching and reading. So honestly? The best thing you can do is set a time limit and immediately unplug before you fall down the rabbit hole. Please, don’t wind yourself up over something that’s happening states or countries away. Protecting your heart and your sanity from what you can’t change are huge reasons to unplug regularly.
That said, on the flip side, social media can also be a trap for comparison, and feeling as though our lives aren’t as exciting as others. Certainly, we logically know that social media is a highlight reel. It’s often snippets of the best moments of someone’s life. Which can make for great inspiration for us to manifest and place on our vision boards. But we also need to remember that there’s so much that never gets shared on social media. So when comparison sets in, it’s time to unplug and remember social media doesn’t paint the entire picture.
Honestly? You never know what was cropped or edited out of that inspiring photo.
Unplugging Encourages Genuine Creativity and Intuitive Thinking
As a creative person, I must say, the internet is full of amazing ideas that help inspire my creative projects. And as a human, I do often find myself searching the web for rather abstract questions. Or asking AI to guide me through my thought process. That said, while the technology is great for those things, it can quickly become a crutch we lean too heavily on if we’re not careful. Sometimes, to the point that it may begin to overtake our own creativity and intuition. So honestly, tapping back into our own creativity and trusting our own intuition are major reasons to unplug on their own.
Just because your creative idea isn’t on Pinterest, it doesn’t mean that it’s a bad idea, my lovely. Maybe you’re actually the one who needs to create it. And remember, Google doesn’t know the complexities of your story when you search for advice or answers to an abstract question. The same applies to chatting with ChatGPT, Grok, or any other AI assistant to guide you through your thoughts. It’s great for gathering insight and external opinions, but you ultimately have to trust your own intuition. Especially when you already know the answer deep down. You don’t always need Reddit’s opinion or an editorial piece to know what your gut is telling you.
Nor do you need to know if those two colors look good together before you create that design. Or if your story idea is a good idea. Sometimes, too many creative resources can actually hinder your genuine creativity. Let yourself just create without needing a reference photo. Or a step-by-step tutorial when you already know how to paint.
Boosting Your Productivity
As a content creator who does a lot of my work on the computer, I often directly link productivity with some type of screen. Which, I know, is quite common for anyone who does a substantial amount of work at their desk. But it also goes without saying that productivity isn’t just about the work we do on our computers, tablets, and phones. Heck, sometimes, productivity isn’t about our careers or entrepreneurial ventures at all. Sometimes, true productivity is about tackling those little things that help keep our lives flowing effectively and efficiently. Such as tidying up our space, preparing nutritious meals, and even diving into pleasurable hobbies.
That said, it goes without saying that our devices often lead us into procrastinating on those productive tasks that we know will benefit us to complete. I mean, how many of us told ourselves we were going to watch “just one more episode” of a show before we started folding the laundry? Heck, I often find myself saying I’ll write “just one more section” before I start preparing my lunch or tidying up my space. And sometimes, we don’t realize just how much time passes when we decide to put off a task for another hour. Or even how much we could have gotten done in those 10 extra minutes of scrolling.
That said, one of the biggest reasons to unplug is that it immediately pulls us out of that loop. Once there’s no show to watch for the moment, we can’t sit around for one more episode. And when our work isn’t the focus at the moment, life automatically becomes the focus. And when we’re not scrolling, we automatically have one less thing to break our focus on getting our lives flowing.
Increasing Your Attention Span
Be honest, you’re not reading this entire post word-for-word; you’re just scanning it. And that’s okay, because even long-form content is often designed to be scannable. Because we all know that our digital devices are doing a number on our attention spans, especially now that short-form content and short bursts of entertainment are prevalent. And while there’s nothing wrong with short-form content and snackable bits of entertainment, it does make it hard to focus on anything that requires us to focus for any longer than a few seconds. And real life wasn’t designed with scannability in mind, so it’s easy to miss quite a bit when you’re not able to keep focus.
Needless to say, increasing your attention span is another one of the major reasons to unplug and take a digital detox. Especially when you use that digital detox time to partake in activities that require quite a bit of continuous focus. Such as a mindful yoga practice, meditation, reading a physical book, and even having a deep conversation with your best friend at the coffee shop. All of which are such highly valuable activities to deeply place your focus on. Plus? When you do reconnect to the digital world, enjoying long-form content will also become easier to consume.
After all, we want to be able to read that full article or watch that hour-long video in it’s entirity. Our attention spans just don’t want to be still for that long right now. So let’s unplug to give our attention spans some time to decompress from the constant need to see what’s next on our feed.
Unplugging Regrounds You In Reality and What Truly Matters
While there are a lot of wonderful things in our digital lives, we don’t want to inadvertently miss out on the wonderful things that life has to offer beyond the screen. Certainly, our favorite shows and cozy games bring us joy and give us something to look forward to. And online communities give us wonderful spaces for self-expression and deep connections. Not to mention that the work we may do on our devices is certainly impactful. But let’s not forget about the importance of what surrounds us when we shut the laptop and put the phone down. Or what’s often waiting for us to unplug so we can reconnect with what truly matters.
Perhaps you have pets that are watching you closely throughout the day. Waiting for you to put the iPad down and throw the ball for them. Or maybe you have young children who’d love for you to shut the laptop and come play with them. Remember, my lovely, our pets are only with us for so long. And little children are only little for so long before more mature interests set in. I don’t say this to guilt you, but rather to encourage you to refocus your time and attention back onto the present moment. Besides, our lives and our hobbies are such wonderful reasons to unplug and allow ourselves to be fully present.
Seriously, give yourself a screen-free moment to spend with your friends and loved ones. Have a chat without needing to pull out your phone and check your notifications. Spend some quality time with your partner without having something on TV in the background. Dive back into a hobby you may have neglected due to your entrepreneurial hustle. And let yourself experience life untethered.
Unplugging Deepens Your Connections With Others
Certainly, modern technology keeps us connected with others in so many ways. Texting and DM make it possible to chat with someone states or countries away in real time. And FaceTime allows us to virtually speak face-to-face with someone, even if they’re on the other side of the globe. Distance is no longer an issue in maintaining friendships and keeping in touch with family. Not to mention the wonderful connections that you can establish because of the internet. But the thing is, while we’re deeply connected to others virtually, we’re often quite disconnected in-person.
So much so that we can be in the same room, but not really connecting at all. Or the conversations that were are having are very surface level, or even about a meme or video. And while I will admit that my social battery is a bit smaller due to being an AuDHD introvert, I do still crave a deeper connection with others than just sharing a few videos and memes. I honestly think we all do.
Honestly, while it may take some coordinating. I highly recommend getting your loved ones in on a digital detox with you. Even if it’s just for a few hours on a Saturday evening. Enjoy a meal together without having your phones out. Play some board games and have a few laughs. Go shopping together, and just bond without turning on the TV or checking your notifications. Let yourself focus on the people in front of you. The digital world will still be there after your digital detox with your loved ones. And those emails and texts can wait a few hours.
A Digital Detox Instantly Frees Up Your Time and Elevates Your Life
Have you ever looked at your daily screentime and been shocked by just how much time you actually spend in front of the computer or on your phone? Especially as these times don’t always take cross-device totals into account. As well as time spent watching something on your TV or gaming on a console. Now, with that in mind, I honestly don’t like to say that screen time is inherently wasted time. Spending your time intentionally creating something, consuming content that you enjoy, and playing a fun video game is not a waste of time. However, there are also better uses of our time that don’t involve sitting in front of a screen.
And committing to a digital detox automatically frees up quite a bit of your time. Whether it be for a few hours or even for a full day. Time that can be spent on non-tech-related hobbies. Or to go meet up with the friends you were often “too busy” to meet with for tea. Or even just to have that home spa evening you told yourself that you’d have 6 months ago. Time that can be spent elevating your life offline and getting things done. Without answering texts and emails. Without responding to social media notifications or comments.
Honestly, why not block out regular digital detoxes into your schedule? And see just how much time you’ll gain for other things. Even, and especially, if you’re a content creator and do a lot of work from your phone and laptop. Even if you’re not sure how else to fill the time that you’ll be spending unplugged just yet. Because there really is so much to do when you disconnect from the digital world. Let yourself see your digital detox as free time.
Conclusion
While a digital detox certainly doesn’t have to be forever, there are truly so many reasons to unplug from time to time. Even if it’s just for the last hour or two before bed every evening, and the first hour or two every morning. Or perhaps, for an entire afternoon on a Saturday. Even a full day of unplugging can be quite lovely. But honestly? While there are certainly so many reasons to unplug, by no means do you have to take it to any extremes. I’d also like to say that you should be choosing to unplug for your own reasons, and on your own terms. A digital detox should never feel like a punishment or an obligation to anyone else, but an act of self-care.
In all honesty, the best reasons to take a digital detox all come down to elevating your lifestyle, boosting your own confidence, and getting the most out of life. It’s not about proving anything to anyone. Nor is it about living life without your smartphone. You’re allowed to enjoy scrolling TikTok and playing Animal Crossing in your free time. Let’s just be sure that we’re also making time for other interests and living life to the fullest.
What are some of the reasons that you like to unplug and take a digital detox from time to time? Do you take them regularly? How long do you like to make your digital detoxes when you take them? How do you personally like to fill that screen-free time? I’d love to hear from you!
No Comments Yet
This post doesn't have any comments yet.