Technology detox

Nowadays, everyone easily owns a lot of technology items, from phones, laptops, tablets, smart TVs or more broadly, smart homes, smart cars… It’s undeniable that technology is greatly supporting life today, but you don’t realize that we are also being abused by technology. After working with the support of technology items (laptop, tablet …), instead of resting in the right sense, we continue to stick with technology items (smartphone, smart TV). The entertainment content on the Internet, cable TV makes our mind think that it is being released after stressful working hours. But that’s not true, they just make our brains stagnate. While people often feel that they can’t imagine life without their tech devices, research and surveys have found that technology use can also contribute to stress.

Digital connectivity can make you feel like you’re missing out on something.

Fear of missing out, known as FOMO, is the fear that you are missing the experiences that everyone else is having. Constant connectivity can feed this fear. Every time you see a curated image or post about someone else’s life, it can leave you feeling as if your life is less exciting than theirs. You might find yourself overcommitting to social events out of the fear that you’ll be left behind. FOMO can also keep you constantly checking your device out of fear that you are going to miss an important text, DM, or post.

Doing a digital detox is one way to set limits and reduce your fear of missing out. The key is to do it in a way that doesn’t leave you feeling cut off from what’s happening in your digital world. We’ve talked a lot about minimalist living, but we only think about minimalism in terms of furniture and forget that we have to be minimalist about the mind. To have a healthy mind, try the following suggestions.

Meditation: That’s right! This is the best way to rest the mind. Get into the habit of meditating for at least 15 minutes a day.

Use technology items just enough for your work, it is not necessary to buy newer technology items because it is an unnecessary expense.

Set time boundaries: Schedule technology-free hours every day, stay away from your phone during meals or add technology-free activities to your schedule like classes. Besides that, you can:

• A digital fast: Try giving up all digital devices for a short period of time, such as a day or up to a week
• Recurrent digital abstinence: Pick one day of the week to go device-free

Use your phone with purpose: When you want to use your phone, consider the reason why.

Set physical boundaries: If you have trouble putting down your phone, try storing it in another room to discourage yourself from using it.

Enjoy more paper media: Try out non-digital media like books, newspapers and comics. You can also pick up a pencil and paper to write or draw.

Take advantage of your phone’s apps and features: Your phone’s features can help you control your overall technology use. For example, you can turn off notifications for certain apps or turn off your phone entirely for a while.

Use technology items just enough for your work, it is not necessary to buy newer technology items because it is an unnecessary expense.

Besides, you should also minimize the applications inside your phone, laptop or tablet. There are dozens of apps you haven’t touched in a year, take a few minutes to clean them up. Read emails and folders on your computer that are no longer in use, delete them immediately.

There are many reasons why you might want to give up your mobile phone and other devices for a brief time. You might want to enjoy time to yourself without the interference that your phone and other devices create. In other cases, you might feel like your device use has become excessive and is adding too much stress to your life. There are some things that you can do to ensure that your digital detox is more successful:

• Let your friends and family know that you are on a digital detox and ask for their help and support
• Find ways to stay distracted and keep other activities on hand
• Delete social media apps from your phone to reduce temptation and easy access
• Try getting out of the house; go to dinner with friends or go for a walk when you are tempted to use your device
• Keep a journal to track your progress and write down your thoughts a bout the experience

Going device-free can be uncomfortable and stressful at times. You might feel annoyed, anxious, and even bored without your mobile phone and other tech tools. While it may be hard, it can be a rewarding experience that will help you better understand your relationship with your devices and be more present and mindful in your other activities and experiences.

Less blue screen, more green scene!