7 Digital Detox Habits to Start Now

7 Digital Detox Habits to Start Now! Simple & realistic tips to reduce anxiety, boost productivity and have a healthy relationship with the online world.

7 Digital Detox Habits to Start Now

 

As an entrepreneur, I’ll be the first to admit that I have a love-hate relationship with the online world. On one hand, I am so grateful that it allows me to run a full-time business and connect with people all over the world. But at the same time, I can’t help but notice that I am consumed by it on a daily basis! Since I know how first hand how this overconsumption can impact both my physical and mental health, I have made finding that balance is my number one priority.

To get into a digital detoxing groove, I recommend taking baby steps and keep challenging yourself to cut down a bit further every day. This may seem difficult at first, but once you start to reconnect with people and things in life that really matter, you will feel so much better in the long run! Here are 7 Digital Detox Habits to Start Now:

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1. Track Your Time Online

Have you ever wondered how much time you actually spend online? I’ve recently checked and trust me when I say the results are scary! Tracking how much time you spend online, whether it be on Instagram, Facebook, or the latest culprit Tik Tok, is the first step digital detoxing. Once you get a clear idea of how many hours you’re spending online, you can then start to track it and set goals for yourself.

There are tons of great apps that you can download to track your time online, or alternatively you use the screentime feature that is built right into your iPhone. This allows you to see which applications you are using the most, and start to set time limits for each. However you choose to track it, the important thing is to become more aware of how much time you’re spending actually spending online and start to cut-down when possible.

2. Create Seperation and Boundaries

In today’s age, it feels as if our phones have become another body part. Wherever we go, the phone follows…but that doesn’t have to be the case! Creating seperation and setting boundaries when it comes to using your phone is such an important and easy way to digital detox. Next time you’re eating, spending time with friends and family or even going to the bathroom, put your phone away and be in the present moment. I promise it will make the world of a difference!

Another habit I practice every night before bed is turning my phone on airplane mode. Doing this allows me to relax and fall asleep peacefully without any distractions or interruptions. The next morning, I will then wait at least an hour before turning off airplane mode. This way I can wake up peacefully, practice my meditation and go about my morning routine before being bombarded by the online world!

7 Digital Detox Habits to Start Now

3. Turn Off Notifications

Imagine how freeing it would be to turn off your notifications? This is a digital detox habit that I implemented a couple of years ago and now I can’t imagine life without it. It has done wonders for my anxiety, boost my productivity and improved my mental health almost immediately! Before turning off my notifications, every time I would receive a text or call, I would always feel obligated to answer right away. Not only was it unknowingly causing me a ton of stress, but it was also extremely distracting! I read a study from the Unversity of California Irvine that said:

“There’s a reason that distractions threaten your work output: It takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to that task.”

Essentially, if we’re too busy checking our phones every 15 minutes, we are never fully focusing on one single task at hand. Crazy right? Once you turn your notifications off, you can then narrow in and give your undivided attention to anything you’re working on.

7 Digital Detox Habits to Start Now

Β 4. Capture & Save For Later

In today’s digital world, everyone is recording and capturing their lives to share online. Whether it be InstagramΒ stories, Snapchat or even just sending a video via text message, our devices have made it alarmingly easy to capture our every moment. While this can be such a fun way to document and share important memories, at the same token, having your face behind the screen can often away from actually enjoying the moment.

If you follow us on Instagram, you’ll know that Miss CashewΒ and I love our cuddle time on the couch. But I must admit, whenever she’s doing something cute (which is almost always haha!) I always feel compelled to grab my phone to capture it! Although I’m eager to share it with you HealthNuts, I also want to be mindful that I’m not then pushing her away just so I can post it on Instagram. Instead, I will still capture the moment, but I’ll save it to my camera roll for later and post it when we’re done snuggling. This simple digital detox habit will allow you to enjoy your life, and then when you have the time and space, you can intentionally upload it, write your caption and share it online.

5. Protect Your Eyes

Have you ever experienced a tension headache after a long day of staring at the screen? If you’re nodding your head yes, it’s likely caused by over-exposure to blue light! Our computer, laptop, and phone screens are mimicking sunlight all day long. When we’re constantly stimulated by that blue light, it can wreck havoc on our overall health and well-being. A great way to protect your eyes and decrease your exposure to blue light is by wearing anti-blue light glasses. I’ve had these ones for years and I always notice such a difference when I wear them!

Another way to protect your eyes is to play around with different screen settings. One that I’ve been using on my laptop for years is called f.lux. Essentially, it follows the pattern of the sun by having different settings for daylight and nighttime on your screen. There are also similar options that you can use on your iPhone, such as dark mode, true tone,Β  night mode or just simply adjusting your brightness overall. Being cognizant of these digital detox habits is likely to reduce headaches, improve your quality of sleep and be more soothing to your eyes when you’re staring at the screen.

6. Switch Tasks to Your Laptop

When possible, try switching tasks from your phone to your laptop or desktop computer. Not only is it more ergonomically friendly, but you’ll also find that you’re much more productive! Using your laptop or desktop computer to complete certain tasks, like emails, will allow you to be more efficient, and reduce your screentime overall!

There are a few tools that I use to make working on my desktop easier and more accessible. These include apps like Tailwind and Later, which are great for scheduling Pinterest and other Social Media Posts. Another app that I’ve recently discovered and downloaded on my desktop is Flume, which is essentially like having Instagram on your computer. It allows you to respond to comments, DM’s and engage with posts more swiftly without having to be on your phone.

7 Digital Detox Habits to Start Now

7. Don’t Always Be Available

The final digital detox habit is an important one, but often the hardest for people to accept. That is that it’s okay to not always be available! Do you feel like you need to be available whenever someone texts, calls or DMs you? While it can be easy to feel this way, the trust is you can’t be there all the time! In order to reduce stress and boost productivity, it’s crucial to respect your personal time and space. By choosing when to respond and connect with people, you will start to gain back some that control.

Rather than seeing this digital detox habit as rude or flakey, think of it as a form of self-care. When you are constantly making yourself available to others, it often leads to unwanted stress and anxiety. This can have a negative effect on both our mental health and productivity. Instead, put your phone on “do not disturb” or have it in another room. Start to set expectations for yourself and know that you don’t have to be available all the time!

There you have it, HealthNuts – 7 Β Digital Detox Habits to Start Now! I hope you enjoyed reading this post and feel inspired to try some of these tips in your everyday life! For more healthy living tips check out my blog posts: 13 Ways to Eat Healthy On A Budget and 10 Tips to Have a Healthy Period!

What’s something that you like to do to detox from the digital world? Leave me a comment below, I would love to know!

7 Digital Detox Habits to Start Now

 

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