The Amazing Benefits of a Digital Detox
It’s no secret that we spend too much time on our phones. We spend hours glued to our screens each day, staring at social media, reading articles, and watching videos.
And while there are some benefits to being constantly connected, there are also some significant drawbacks.
So in this blog post, I’ll be chatting about the benefits of digital detox and why decreasing screen time is always a good idea.
Before we jump into the benefits of a digital detox, let’s check in on the adverse effects of too much screen time.
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The adverse effects of too much screen time
While there are certainly some benefits to spending time online or watching TV, there are also some significant adverse side effects to too much screen time.
Excessive screen use is known to hurt sleep and mental health.
Studies have shown that chronic users of electronic devices often experience disrupted sleep patterns and even insomnia, leading to fatigue and stress.
Whether you go cold turkey or set some more realistic goals, it’s clear that too much time spent on your phone, watching TV, or playing video games isn’t good for you or your well-being.
Excessive screen time can cause:
- Anxiety
- Low self-esteem due to compassion
- Sleep issues
- Depression
- Lack of exercise
- Headaches
- Weight gain
- Unhealthy eating habits
- Lack of exercise
- Poor time management
- Work problems
- Problems in relationships
Another concern about screen time is blue light.
What is blue light?
Blue light is electromagnetic radiation produced by many common light sources, including household bulbs and digital screens like TVs and computers.
Blue light has a shorter wavelength than other visible wavelengths in the visible spectrum and emits more energy per photon.
This high energy level can affect the human body by increasing the risk of eye damage and disrupting the natural sleep-wake cycle.
Related article: The benefits of blue light glasses
The Dangers of Blue Light
Excessive blue light is something everyone should be aware of.
The high energy wavelengths associated with blue light have been linked to various adverse health effects, including eye strain, fatigue, and even damage to the retina.
Studies have shown that long-term exposure to blue light can lead to more severe conditions, such as macular degeneration and cataracts.
Given the genuine risks associated with blue light exposure, we must limit our exposure whenever possible and take other measures to protect our eyesight.
Whether by staying away from screens at night or wearing special lenses, it’s up to each individual.
Me? I have about ten pairs of blue light glasses all over the house. Since I started wearing blue light glasses, I have had less eye strain and headaches, and my sleep scores on my Whoop have gone way up!
Risks associated with blue light exposure:
- Digital eye strain and fatigue
- Some Cancers
- headaches
- dry eyes
- macular degeneration (AMD)
- Disrupted sleep-wake cycles
Shop Blue Light Glasses
What is a digital detox?
A digital detox is when you take a break from technology, including your phone, computer, and video games. You can do a digital detox for a day, a weekend, or even longer.
The goal is to disconnect from the virtual world and focus on the natural world around you.
The benefits of a digital detox: Spending less time on screens
It saves precious time.
Time is precious, yall! And all the surfing the interwebs and all that time on social media are time-consuming.
Spending time on the phone, watching TV, or playing video games consumes time which, last I checked, is a non-renewable resource.
One of the most significant benefits of a digital detox is that it can help you to focus on the present moment. After all, all we have is now. Right?
A digital detox can help you relax and de-stress.
Have you ever heard the saying “too much of a good thing is too much!” Well, that is true when it comes to screen time.
Too much blue light, too much information, and drama cause stress and anxiety by overloading our senses.
It’s information overload!
Related: Stressed? You need a stress management plan!
A digital detox can help you appreciate life’s simple things.
It’s easy to take life’s simple things for granted. But, unfortunately, I think we are all guilty of that.
But when we disconnect from our devices, we start to notice all the little things that make life special. Trust me.
There is so much joy everywhere!
When we free up our headspace, we are free to notice the little things. Like a ladybug on a flower, that cute expression your Granddaughter makes when she wants your attention, or maybe catch the otherwise missed sunsets, the wind in the trees, or how dang cute your dog is when it’s dinner time.
Less Screen time will Improve your self-esteem + and save you from the comparison trap.
Social media leads to compassion which brings nothing but trouble. Comparing our real life to that on the interwebs is outright dangerous.
Detoxing from digitals will improve your physical + Mental health
Spending too much. Time on our phones and computers can lead to eye strain, dry eyes, and headaches, not to mention back and neck problems.
Excess time on social media can lead to depression, anxiety, and even loneliness. (Source)
Ditch the digitals and get better sleep.
One of the best benefits of a digital detox is better quality sleep!
Our bodies regenerate themselves while we sleep. Therefore, lack of sleep or poor sleep quality will 100% affect your mood and health.
What are digital detox disadvantages?
In my eyes, ZERO. Unless you are trying to go cold turkey.
If social media provides comfort, you must find alternative ways to achieve comfort while detoxing or limiting screen time.
If you feel bored without your phone, TV, or video games (and you will!), you will need to fill in the gaps with new activities.
Don’t go cold turkey; instead, wean yourself off slowly
Going cold turkey can be painful, so I suggest weaning yourself off slowly while replacing the time with new activities is the ticket to success in digital detox.
How much time do you spend on your phone?
Like most people, you probably spend a fair amount of time on your phone daily. But have you ever stopped to think about how much time you’re spending?
If you use your phone for work or to keep in touch with friends and family, it’s easy to lose time.
Luckily, there are ways to track your phone use to better understand how much time you spend each day.
Track your screen time. There’s an app for that.
Several apps can track your phone use and give detailed information about how long you use each app and when.
Tracking your screen time is enlighting! I was shocked by the amount of time I spent on my phone.
Tracking your screen time can be a great way to see where you’re spending the most time and make changes if necessary.
Find the best screen time tracking apps for both iPhone and Android here.
Check out this resource about screen time apps.
If you have an iPhone, you can easily track your screen time.
Go to the “Settings” app under “Screen Time.”
Once you know how much time you’re spending on your phone, you can decide whether or not you want to make changes. If you’re spending too much time on your phone, consider taking a break or setting some limits.
Your health and well-being are worth it!
Experts say that too much screen time can cause changes in your brain function! Say what?!
Spending time scrolling and swiping send dopamine to the same parts of the brain that respond to addictive and dangerous drugs.
I’m no rocket scientist, but that tells me we are all addicted.
Detoxing from the digitals will help you to get better sleep. And sleep, my friends, is a big one. We all need it, most of us don’t get enough, and it’s a big problem.
Digital detox tips: How to do a digital detox
How to do a digital detox?
There are a few different ways that you can go about doing a digital detox.
One way is to set some ground rules for yourself.
For example, you could decide to put away your phone for an hour every day or disconnect from the internet for a day each week.
Another way to do a digital detox is to find a tech-free activity you enjoy and prioritize.
How to decrease screen time in 2022
Schedule phone breaks
Consider taking at least three scheduled phone breaks per day. Set the alarm (you guessed it, on your phone) to remind you that it’s break time to utilize a screen time app.
Create NO PHONE ZONES
The dinner table is an excellent place to start. First, collect all cell phones in a basket at dinner time. Then, take the time away from phones to visit with your family. Maybe play a game of high-low?
Forget your phone (on purpose)
Do you need your phone to take the dog for a walk? What about going outside and working in the garden? Do you need your phone while taking a bubble bath?
If we’re being honest, the answer is no. However, leaving our phones behind here and there can help lower our daily screen time by more than you think.
Disconnect at night before bedtime.
Set a time every night to turn off your phone, or set the screen time app up so that your phone automatically turns off every night at the same time.
You can also set it up to still receive text and phone calls from selected contacts.
As a result, you don’t have to worry about missing an emergency, so you don’t have to worry and better relax.
Set your phone to Do Not Disturb mode
This mode will send your calls to voicemail and silence all notifications.
You can still receive text messages, but they won’t light up your screen or make noise.
The do not disturb mode is an excellent way to avoid distractions while still being is available for emergencies.
If you have an iPhone, you can set it to Do Not Disturb mode by going to Settings > Do Not Disturb.
Turn off all notifications.
Do we really need to know every time someone likes our posts on Instagram? Do we need to be alerted that our friend from high school is feeling “excited” about this, that, or the other thing?
Not to say we can’t be interested in what’s up on the gram or Facebook; I’m just saying we shouldn’t be alerted to it every second of every day!
It will all be there when you have the time to scroll.
Turning off notifications is so freeing!
To do this on an iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications and scroll down until you see the app you want to turn notifications off for.
Then, tap the toggle next to Allow Notifications to turn them off.
Consider deleting some of your social media apps.
How many social media platforms do we need? I mean, really!
I recently deleted Snapchat and have never looked back! Just do it. You can always download them again if you can’t live without them. You will never know until you try.
The idea is to simplify.
Use an old-school alarm clock instead of your phone’s built-in one.
Consider using an old-school alarm clock instead of your phone’s alarm.
Using an alarm clock, you may not be tempted to check your phone first thing in the morning and start scrolling through your feed mindlessly. Plus, it’s just nice to have an actual alarm clock again.
Why should you do a digital detox? There are many reasons!
A digital detox can help you:
- Focus on the present moment
- Connect with the people around you
- Relax and de-stress
- Appreciate life’s simple things
Things to do instead of watching Television or YouTube
As I mentioned earlier, one of the benefits of a digital detox is saving precious time!
Precious time is better spent doing more life-giving activities than scrolling through the latest fashion finds for spring for hours on end. #truthbomb
- Read a book. There is nothing like being hooked on a page-turner!
- Cook a meal or a yummy dessert
- Do some gardening. Gardening is good clean fun!
- Listen to music
- Do something creative. Draw. Paint. Make a vision board.
- Take up a new hobby
- Go to the gym or practice yoga.
- Practice self-care
- Go outside. Look around. Watch the sunset, check out the hummingbirds at the feeder, and catch some rays. Breathe.
- Spend time with friends. Consider a game night!
- join a club or take a class
The options are endless! And you may find that you enjoy your new activity so much that you don’t even miss television.
Related article: Need a new hobby?
Social media has changed everything.
Most people would say that social media has positively impacted their lives.
It’s brought people together worldwide, given them a platform to share their voices, and connected them with like-minded individuals.
But there is another side to social media that isn’t so rosy.
The pros and cons of social media
There are a lot of advantages to social media, but there are also some disadvantages.
Some pros of social media include staying connected with friends and family, sharing news and experiences, and connecting with like-minded people.
However, some cons of social media include cyberbullying, addiction, and unfavorable body image comparison.
It’s essential to be aware of both the good and the bad regarding social media.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed by your online presence, breaking from social media might be good.
However, if you can’t stay away from social media, it might be a good idea to limit your use or consider changing how you use social media.
For example, you could unfollow accounts that make you feel bad about yourself and follow statements that make you feel good.
You could also try using social media for positive things like sharing articles or connecting with friends.
Avoiding the comparison trap
In today’s world, when bombarded with images of perfection. It’s all too easy to succumb to the comparison trap. Don’t be deceived; it is an actual trap.
We compare ourselves to our friends, favorite celebrities, and even strangers on the internet.
And while there’s nothing wrong with admiring someone else’s life, it can become a problem when we compare ourselves to others.
Comparison is dangerous because it leads to jealousy, envy, and insecurity.
If you compare your life to others, it might be time for a social media detox.
By taking a break from social media, you can focus on your life and learn to appreciate what you have and who you are.
Protecting yourself from the comparison trap by limiting time on social is one of the most important benefits of a digital detox!
It’s important to remember that everyone’s life is different and that what you see on social media is often just a highlight reel.
There are many benefits of a digital detox.
There are many benefits of a digital detox. A digital detox can benefit anyone feeling overwhelmed by technology, from reducing stress to gaining a new perspective.
If you’re looking for a way to relax and de-stress, consider disconnecting from your devices and taking some time.
You might be surprised by how much better you feel. Are you considering tracking your screen time? Have you ever done a digital detox?
What do you feel the benefits of a digital detox are?
Let me know in the comments.
Thanks for reading!
