Today’s world has become hyper-connected, with many people spending several hours on their smartphones and tablets. According to research, the average person in the UK spends about 4 hours and 14 minutes on their phones daily. The constant barrage of notifications, social media updates, and live streaming alerts can become too much without you even realising the stress it’s causing. As a result, people are gradually acknowledging digital minimalism and are taking steps to detox in that regard. Here is how you can do the same.
- Engage in offline hobbies and activities
How do you spend your free time when you’re off the phone, not watching TV, or browsing the web on your computer? For many people, this is impossible because a big chunk of their free time is spent on digital platforms only. However, because you are interested in a digital detox, it would help to adopt offline hobbies and activities. It would be a great idea to rediscover a passion you once had but relegated to the background because technology took over your active and inactive hours. It could be gardening, taking a walk around the neighbourhood, or simply engaging in hearty conversations with friends and family. The simplicity of these activities fuels the commitment to do them more often. It can be challenging to adopt this new lifestyle, especially after you have spent years doing just about everything on your tech-aided devices. The secret is to start slow and gradually increase the momentum until you get used to offline hobbies and activities.
- Establish screen-free zones at home
It may seem like an extreme step, but designating screen-free zones at home helps you in more ways than you can imagine. Remember that sometimes, the need to take a break from digital devices requires taking the bull by the horns. Start by designating areas like the dining room and bedroom as tech-free zones. These are places where people love to foster more meaningful connections with family. Imagine sitting with family at the dining table at supper, and everybody has their phones out browsing the web or on social media. The same can be said about the bedroom, where you and your spouse or partner would rather spend quality time. Unfortunately, that time can be marred when either one of you spends an unreasonable amount of time on the phone. You can extend this rule to your kids’ bedrooms if you have young ones at home. Transform their spaces into a haven of imagination and creativity with pieces like unique kids beds at Cuckooland. It takes a lot of self-discipline to establish screen-free zones at home. Admittedly, there may be times when you will disregard this self-regulating rule, but the tip is not to make a habit of it.
- Schedule regular digital detox periods
Another noteworthy point is the regularity of your digital detox period, but that is possible only when you designate specific times of the day or week for it. For example, consider committing to a daily digital detox from 7 pm to 5 am. Or if that’s not feasible, consider about two or three times a week. Your regular digital detox periods will be successfully implemented when they don’t conflict with your work or active hours. It will also work when you set boundaries for yourself, like reducing the temptation to check your phone every few minutes. These are intentional breaks with the sole aim of recharging your brain and allowing it to take a rest from excessive screen time. Technology is a good thing, but as the saying goes, ‘too much of a good thing can be overwhelming or bad.’