The Benefits of Digital Detox: Reclaiming Your Time
1. Introduction to Digital Detox
Digital detox is a process that most of us know we
should undertake at one point or another. In our demanding world of instant
communication, constant connectivity, and a 24/7 news cycle, it can be
overwhelming to contend with the flood of distractions and unwelcome intensity.
As officers and stewards for your community, isn't it hard to think clearly
when you're constantly tethered to technology? This near-constant stimulation
is a little bit like being in a ship tossed about on a stormy sea. Our life and
our time don’t seem to belong to us. We just keep responding to the demands of
the moment, swept up in currents of activity with little ability to direct
where we want to go. With immense advancements being made in all areas of
society, when do we have time to reflect on who we are and what we want to be?
All of that is put on hold, and so is the time to take care of one’s self.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom. You can reclaim your time, and digital
detox can help. It is our aim to understand your habits around technology and
convince you where a time investment in reclaiming your life should move up
your priority list. Ultimately, we navigate this chaotic moment in history more
skillfully rather than simply bemoaning the existence of digital technology. We
have to be more aware and intentional about how we interact with the
technologies of our age where we have the choice to use or abstain. The first
step in any such mindfulness journey is to reflect accurately about how you
live.
2. Understanding the Impact of Technology on Time Management
The impact of technological advances on our
relationship with time is hard to overstate. One way it has done so is through
the proliferation of regular notifications drawing us into another
time-consuming online interaction, not to mention the siren-song allure of
capture in the unrelenting scrolling of social media feeds. The statistics
abound for quantifying this vast change: we are simply spending more and more
time on our smartphones and other devices. American adults spent almost four
hours a day on their mobile phones in 2019; that the figure in 2018 was one
hour less than that indicates significant annual growth. Statistics like this
fuel one line of argument for complete abstinence from all devices or else
times of deliberately unpaid leave from them. They can also justify the rise in
associated business consultancy dedicated to time management and organization.
Of course, having lots of technology does not mean
that we notice its effects, let alone care about them one way or another.
Worse, even if we do recognize and dislike our focus being split among our
tasks when checking emails in our meetings, or our fragmented attention span
during our online research, we might still let that trend continue as a
pernicious contemporary norm. In pursuance of the benefits listed above
connected to frequently or continuously checking our technological or social
media platforms, do we and the general population think about the drawbacks of
incoherence and lost efficiency? After all, psychological stress is linked to
the continuous partial attention of multitasking with a few electronic devices.
How we understand the impacts of technology can be a prerequisite for engaging
in a digital detox program.
3. Benefits of Digital Detox in Reclaiming Time
Society today is largely dependent on digital
technology for work, communication, entertainment, and more. As a result,
millions find themselves glued to screens throughout the vast majority of their
day. However, spending so much time on electronic devices and apps can often be
mentally draining. Many have started to invest their time in a digital detox: a
form of wellness where people take time off from using their digital devices in
favor of spending time offline. Digital detoxes can offer certain advantages in
terms of reclaiming time, removing stress, and encouraging other forms of
productive work. Mentally, spending hours online and on digital devices can be
quite exhausting. In contrast, after completing a digital detox, many people
feel much sharper and more capable of concentrating on the work that matters
most to them. They are also much more likely to avoid presentism – a struggle
that many busy professionals face from spending time on work that is not
important but still requires attention. Those who have tried this approach
found that, though they initially felt much better while not using as many
electronic devices, they also found even greater benefit in not being as
dependent on using electronic devices, such as for transportation to and from
work.
Using electronic devices such as tablet computers,
laptops, and smartphones is physically exhausting. Running your fingers over a
smartphone screen can only be done so quickly before fatigue kicks in, and many
people find themselves frustrated that it is easier and less painful to type
with two fingers at the same time rather than doing so with one at a time. A
digital detox gives area to let overworked fingers soak in, which many have
found quite useful. Digital detoxes have been known to reclaim hours' worth of
time that were previously taken up by notifications and other distractions that
could be turned off. People who have tried digital detoxes previously have
returned to a time of riding bicycles, completing household chores, writing
handwritten letters, and getting works of pottery, paintings, and sculpture
done. Surprisingly, a digital detox actually helps in fostering creativity, as
people who have tried digital detoxes in the past have found it easier to come
up with new, out-of-the-blue ideas and better ways to solve problems in the
real world. Tactile projects and digital detoxes are a match made in heaven. In
total, informants actually reported that digital detoxes are freeing and
conducive to productivity if done in moderation.
4. Strategies and Tips for a Successful Digital Detox
Setting a specific goal can help you establish the
right approach to your digital detox. What do you hope to accomplish? Greater
mindfulness, a more active social life, better communication with partners and
children, or just a little me-time? It may, for example, be useful. It is
essential to set achievable goals that you can be proud of. With a clear
concept of what you want, set the intention and motivate yourself by focusing
on the advantages you can genuinely justify paying attention to the best method
for you. Considering the following can help you gradually reduce your screen
time and feel less overwhelmed: Where and when are the most effective times for
you to engage in a tech-free activity? It is suggested that you establish some
places that are completely off-limits to technology throughout the week.
Scheduling a few tech-free activities or moments each day can also be a good
start. Having a brainstorm of a few screen-free moments per week can be
beneficial. Mindless scrolling is less likely when your days are packed.
Disconnecting during dinner and not turning the TV on once in a while can be a
refreshing change. If at all possible, stay off your phone for the whole
weekend. Look for ways to make your family's evenings more unique and
enjoyable. One option is to recognize and note your devices' control over you
and your attention. You might wish to try binge-watching a series or two or
playing some video games. Are there any hobbies or interests outside of digital
technology? Anything worth attempting that does not require digital
involvement, such as cooking a meal from an exotic country that may require a
printed recipe? Are there any crafts or activities you can learn about and
engage in? Were you aware that puzzles and adult coloring books are all the
rage these days? Challenge a friend to a board game battle? Are there any
amusing activities you can take part in while out in the world? On your return
home, make travel arrangements! Walking is a popular activity. Establish some
fun and interactive pledge goals with a group of people, and make a plan to
encourage each other to join in, and come up with a suitable punishment for
those who don't.
5. Conclusion: Embracing a Balanced Digital Lifestyle
After completing your digital detox, you may have felt
the urgency with which our digital technologies are occupying our time and our
minds, and you may have gained some sense of the person you are when you’re not
constantly reaching for or attending to your device. You have had some practice
managing your time and focusing on those activities, hobbies, and people that
matter most to you. You have gotten some practice being mindful of the tools
and habits that stand between you and the lifestyle you wish to lead. You now
know the digital dementor's effect on your brain: it is a constant draw on your
attention, and it makes it harder for you to connect with and think deeply
about the world around you. You have the power to control these effects on your
mind and your time. You just need to know to form a habit of checking in with
your digital life, so that you don’t fall back into those habits that leave you
feeling more stressed and less in control.
The contributors to various discussions all agree that
phones, email, and messaging apps tend to fill the previously free spaces in
our daily schedules. Always on our person, they also have a way of keeping us
connected to our coworkers and projects outside of the already long workday.
Additionally, our best thinking can supposedly only be saved for the whiteboard
in a meeting room or that reading nook in the corner of your local coffee shop.
And we oh-so-conveniently are the busiest people alive, with no time to spare
jotting down our lists. Interestingly, the very people who attend the meetings
and make management-level decisions that perpetuate this cult of busyness also
confess to a loss of productivity as they check their email on a train or
respond to a post-meeting customer query while ordering dinner with their
significant other. This, by the way, is coming from a market that will pay
hardworking individuals for doing just that. If they pause and consider their
work habits and seek remedies for their busyness, why should you not extend a
similar professional courtesy to yourself? After all, we all make better
decisions when we aren’t just 'too busy to think.' The aforementioned may not
absorb every pixel of literary goodness traveling through the webbed lines of
your internet connection, but they do reinforce a growing sentiment in the tech
industry that we may all have our best ideas and our most valuable
relationships somewhere else.
On the far end of the spectrum—being mindful does not
mean one has to be everyone or no one, just those who find themselves happiest
there—a balance between embracing digital challenge and embracing offline
fullness helps us pay attention and reclaim our time spent on digital
technology. It is an approach that works to unplug after unplugging, allowing
you to refocus on the life and projects that matter most to you. In order to
set this challenge, what you need to become is mindful. To do this, simply pause
to reflect on what you’ve learned from the digital detox. In answering these
questions individually, you can become both the teacher and the student of
mindful digital consumption. If we more thoughtfully choose to mix and match
our time spent in both our digital and our offline lives, the middle path is
the path to the best opportunity to thrive.