I’ve just been away for 2 days during which time I did a digital detox / social media detox.
I had been feeling under a lot of pressure recently and, whilst I generally don’t “go on holiday”, I realised I needed to take a bit of a breather. I always take a little time to breathe at the weekend but somehow this wasn’t enough.
So I planned a trip to the coast, 2 nights in a hotel right on the beach. It was very much a spur-of-the-moment decision and amazingly the weather was perfect for the 2 days I was away!
As I left the house I put my phone on airplane mode and didn’t reconnect until I got home again. I could have turned the phone off completely but I wanted to use it as a camera so airplane mode was the next best thing.
It’s a strange feeling to disconnect completely from your phone, the internet, email etc. I did have a second phone which no one has the number for which I gave to my family just in case they needed to get in touch with me. The only thing I used this phone for was the map to get me there and for planning walks.
What is a digital detox?
A digital detox is a certain period of time when you disconnect from anything digital. This would be your phone, laptop – and therefore internet and social media – and even the TV.
Some people do it for a few hours, some people for a whole day or, like I just did, a few days. It all depends on what it takes for you to feel like you’ve totally disconnected.
Why do a digital detox?
In this day and age we are surrounded by technology. Many of us use our phones all day long whether it’s to send/receive messages, phone calls, go on the internet, play games – there is so much you can do on a phone the list is almost endless! Then there are the laptops, tablets/iPads, desktop computers.
There are 3 aspects as to why a digital detox is needed:
- EMF rays (eletro magnetic frequency). Phones, laptops and computers all emit EMF rays. It may be that these rays are harmful and so it’s good to give it a rest sometimes.
- Digital addiction. Have you ever felt compelled to check your phone for messages? Check your computer for emails? Is it hard for you to just “turn off”? This is like an addiction. The thought of being without your phone all day fills you with dread!
- Constantly in demand. With email and various messaging services on your phone it can feel like you’re in constant demand, especially if you’re self-employed.
This can be a factor that creates stress or adds to already existing stress. It’s hard to completely relax – something that also affects stress levels.
Why do a social media detox?
Going on social media regularly is all about sharing your life or observing other people’s lives. You want to know what’s going on. You want your friends to know what you’re doing. You want to check how many likes that post got, who commented etc. This can also become an addiction.
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up? Check Facebook, check Instagram? How would it be if you DIDN’T do that as soon as you woke up?
Doing a social media detox means you completely disconnect from social media. You don’t keep track of everyone’s lives. You don’t tell people what you’re doing. You don’t have concerns about likes/comments etc. Not only that, but you won’t be bombarded with news from around the world – something that can create a lot of stress.
How did my digital detox go?
My digital detox lasted 2 days. I put my phone on airplane mode, left my laptop at home and set off on my journey south.
I checked into my hotel and then went for a walk. It was around 4pm, the sun was still shining and there was a lovely breeze. I walked for a while and then sat on the beach looking at the horizon and literally breathing in the view! I took a few photos of the beach and went back to my hotel. There was a TV in the room but I didn’t turn it on.
I had taken a couple of books with me – real ones, with real pages – and read for a while. By 9pm I was so tired I couldn’t keep my eyes open – so no need to watch TV anyway.
The next day I went for a long walk along the beach in the direction of a cafe that was marked on the map. I thought it looked like a 25 minute walk but it turned out to be more like 45 minutes! I had a coffee and lay on the beach for a while looking at the sky, deep breathing and just paying attention to being in the moment, not thinking, just being.
It was very calming.
I made sure to take my shoes off and lay down on the beach to do a bit of “grounding”.
There’s a lot written about grounding, some of it may be true, some maybe not. But in its simplest form grounding is about getting the built-up energy in your body to discharge into the ground. Grounding is defined as “the act of connecting a conductor, or exposed conductive parts of an installation, to the earth”. The body is the conductor. Have you ever felt “charged” up? This can be actual physical energy that needs to be discharged.
Just walking barefoot in the grass can enable the energy to discharge.
I remember one time lying down on a sandy beach and I could literally feel built-up electrical energy discharging into the ground.
Anyway, after lying on the beach for a while and catching my breath, I made the 45-minute walk back to my hotel. It wasn’t until later that I realised I hadn’t had headphones in listening to music as I normally would when walking. I was totally in the moment and taking in my surroundings as I walked.
After 2 days of no phone, no screens, no TV, no internet, I headed back to “reality” and when I got home I turned my phone on. Sure, there were a number of messages waiting for me but nothing catastrophic had happened! I turned on my laptop and there were over 100 emails waiting (80% of which were spam or could simply be deleted).
What did I conclude from doing a digital/social media detox?
Doing a digital detox and social media detox is a very calming and therapeutic activity.
I think it’s good to get away if you can because then you’re in a completely different environment and not tempted by the laptop sitting there or trying to resist the habit of turning on the TV after dinner.
There are ways to do a shorter digital detox such as go out for the day and turn your phone off – better still, leave it at home! Although, having your phone with you can provide a sense of security so that if you get into trouble of some sort it’s easy to contact someone. A few weeks ago the exhaust fell off my car while I was out and if I hadn’t had my phone with me it would have been a much harder issue to deal with!
Is it time for you to do a digital detox?
Only you can answer that one. Take a look at how much you use digital products. Are you slightly addicted to them? Is it running your life?
Do you feel stressed? Do you feel mentally drained? It could be because the digital world is overwhelming YOUR world.
To help you get started with a Digital Detox I’ve prepared a little guide. It even includes a diet detox if you also want to detox your body.
