5 tech habits to digital detox now for a happier 2023

Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the number of electronic gadgets and devices we have to use in our daily lives. It can be tiring and stressful to be on the go constantly. But it’s also essential to living a healthy lifestyle. So how can you strike a balance? It’s possible to implement some changes in your life so that you will be able to enjoy the benefits of modern technology without feeling its adverse effects.

Read how technology has changed the education system here. 

One way is to do a digital detox. Digital detoxing is just like it sounds — it means getting rid of your digital life for a short period. The term digital detoxing is used to describe the reduction or elimination of technology use, mainly through cell phones and computers, to increase physical activity, reduce anxiety and stress, eliminate distractions and improve sleep. A digital detox can also be a period when a person avoids electronic devices while they complete other tasks or activities. It may seem like an impossible task, but with some planning, you can get back in touch with yourself and your surroundings with relative ease.

These are 5 ways to balance your health-tech balance:

1. Frequent breaks:

The initial way to keep yourself away from spending hours on your devices is to schedule regular breaks throughout the day. You don’t have to spend that time actively doing something; it’s better if you just let yourself relax and take a breath from the technology you’ve been surrounded with. Take a walk outside your house without your phone or make a quick call instead of constantly chatting with someone using your phone.

 Digital detoxing doesn’t mean you need to be constantly “doing,” it just means you’re not doing something else at the same time. Taking 15 minutes break every 1 or 2 hours would greatly help you in the mission. It not only helps to detox, but studies have also shown that taking frequent breaks while working can improve your memory and productivity. It also gives rest to the eyes resulting in clear vision, less irritation, and more focus.

2. Build a habit of reading:

Before social media, e-books, and OTTs, people were fond of reading books. Reading is a way for escapism from the digital world and gives way to mental peace. People often watch a movie, play games, or chat on the phone at night before sleep. But it may lead to serious mental issues like bad or no sleep, stress, anxiety disorder, and much more. Instead, reading some pages or chapters of the book can help you get better sleep because it releases melatonin and serotonin, which are promoters of sleep hormones. The book could be a novel, comic, fantasy, or motivational, depending on one’s choice. 

Reading helps create a rich mental space to understand things better. It also allows us to have a greater perspective of the world. It helps us relax, unwind, and get away from the daily stresses and strains of life. Not only books, to get away from phones and screens, one should put on a habit of reading newspapers. Nowadays, everyone can watch the news on YouTube. But reading a newspaper, just like old traditional ways, could help a lot. It helps a person for digital detox and helps gain knowledge, daily affairs, and national & international news.

3. Turn off social media notifications:

Social media is our biggest addiction of us nowadays. Every 5 minutes, someone sends you a message, friends send memes, celebrities tweet, a viral video is shared, and whatnot. And all of these things are unimportant for us and just time-consuming. It utilizes our time and eats up mental strength, and keeps us busy for no reason. Social media may lead to reduced focus and work efficiency. So, turning off push notifications on your smartphone can make the world a more relaxing place. 

Notifications steal your mental energy. When they pop up, they demand your attention. To avoid distraction, you have to turn off notifications — so when an alert comes in, you’re not tempted to drop what you’re doing to check it. Also, you can set a timer for every 2 hours to check social media and WhatsApp messages to make sure you are not missing out on any important thing. It would improve your work efficiency and make you less anxious about social media activities!

4. Distance yourself from screens:

Seems complicated to keep social media off or to read? Well, it is not an easy mission. However, there is another way to detox digitally. Everyone’s phone needs a charge 2-3 times a day. We often stay near the phone when it is getting charged and wait for some time. It is another sign that you are addicted to your phone, and it is high time to stay away from it. So what you could do is move to another room while it is in charge and have dinner, have a chat with family members, or only get a power nap. It is a small step but initial step for your detoxication journey. Eventually, it will be a habit, and then you can follow the steps mentioned earlier. 

Not only phones, but people also have an addiction to watching TV while having dinner, which is a bad practice. To overcome it, switch off the TV and have dinner with the family while spending some quality moments with them. It will help you with some good family moments, peace, and digital detox, for sure.

5. Embrace Nature:

Could you remember the last time you played cricket with your friends on a playground? Took your son for a nature’s walk? Or helped your grandmother maintain the garden? Maybe we all did this some years back when there was no social media or mobile phones. Even while traveling to a hilly or beach place, we only keep updating our social media rather than enjoying the moment. We should start doing this more often to unleash the old memories and maintain distance from screens. It will help you keep up with mental and physical health. 

While living in the virtual world, we should not forget that the real world exists and we are a part of it. So, if you think your daily screen time exceeds a specific limit and want to start doing digital detox and live a happier and healthier life in 2022, this is the time.

Final words

There are different ways people opt to take a break from the digital world. Along with the journalling, many have shifted towards yoga and meditation to calm their mind. Digital media adds chaos to our minds. It constantly makes us feel that we are behind somebody, and we must hustle more to get to the number one position. However, we forget that our mental peace is equally important. We must progress in life but must also maintain a work-life balance. We are never behind somebody. There is so much out there except the digital world that we must explore. So use it cautiously. Don’t fall prey to the digital trap.