By Sahira Dharamshi
In the age of social media and our lives pretty much revolving around a digital screen embarking on a digital detox has become increasingly difficult to do. However, not entirely impossible. In line with my blog’s theme of ‘A Blog For First Days’ I’m going to share a brief guide to beginning a digital detox – sort of.
How To Embark On A Realistic Digital Detox
Taking time away from screens or even limiting screen usage can have a plethora of benefits. One of the main benefits is bettering sleep quality.
I know many of us are all guilty of scrolling through our phones late at night when we can’t sleep thinking somehow this will get us tired. When in reality, it is having the opposite effect. Screens give off a blue light which can impact our sleep-wake cycle. As a result, spending prolonged time on our phones before bed can make it harder for us to fall asleep and have a good quality night’s sleep.
In everyone’s busy schedules to completely detox from devices may be difficult to do, nevertheless, your ability to limit time spent on them is achievable. Knowing the negative effects of blue light on sleep should be a great motivating factor to reducing your screen time and to begin the process, start by putting your phone away an hour, or even more, before bed to get out of the habit of using it as a crux.
Personally, on my phone I activate bedtime mode to start my wind down process. This has proven to be very effective as I stop receiving notifications in turn reducing the temptation to pick up my phone and respond. I also have started charging my phone away from bed. Thus in order to reach for it I have to get out from under my covers which I don’t really want to do. This too is used as a tactic to get me to stop snoozing my alarm when it goes off in the morning ultimately, proving its benefits from multiple angles! I ended up really enjoying not having my phone buzz with notifications that it was often on Do Not Disturb even during the day. Whilst that greatly annoyed my family and friends I stopped getting used to always reaching for it. Sadly, I started working and this was no longer viable but, I revert back to it as soon as the weekend arrives.
Leading to my next point. During the weekend you can reduce screen usage even further. For example, in the morning instead of going to grab your phone as soon as your eyes flit open, go make yourself a cup of coffee, tea or whatever your morning beverage of choice is. Enjoy it, wake up properly, in your own time and at your own pace. A much better alternative to going through friends’ stories of how they spent their Friday nights or mindlessly scrolling through Tik Tok and Instagram as soon as your day begins.
Additionally, keeping your phone on DND during the weekend is a great way to ensure your’re present and really soaking up all the moments of calm and relaxation before a hectic week at the office, school etc starts up again. With a screen up in front of our faces it’s easy to miss the smallest of things and then suddenly Monday hits and a full weekend has flown by unappreciated.
Round-up:
As I said, I know how much we all depend on these little devices making it hard to totally detox from them. However, there are definitely little things we can do to reduce time spent on them. Not only will your sleep improve but also your overall wellbeing. Being in the moment, appreciating the little things and just being present works wonders. For our bodies individuals go on various cleanses so for our mind let’s show the same respect and start escaping the digital jungle we often find ourselves stuck in.