The times we live in where everything we do right from waking up till we sleep revolves around tech devices. From talking to our purchases most of our work all happens on a digital platform. So much so that even our magazines and reading are on an electronic medium. This is why it is so important to take time off digital devices and do what we now call a digital detox’
10 Reasons Why We Need A Digital Detox
1. To Re-connect With Yourself
Usually, the first thing we do as we wake up is — reach out for our phones. It’s like we sleep to the texts and scrolling, we wake up and check our messages. Most times, it’s just out of sheer habit that we mindlessly scroll. It’s also the space where we get most of our updates from, whether about the world or our loved ones. It can get overwhelming as we don’t wake up slowly anymore. From the time we are up till we go to bed, our brains are tick tick tick…on processing some or other information.
Social Media they say is one of the causes for anxiety and stress. And so, it is important to not get on our phones first thing in the morning. Allow yourself time to wake up and process things. Allow yourself to have a slow start where you enjoy the weather and take deep breaths. Connect with yourself, before you get, set, and go with the smartphones. Once you get on a digital detox and schedule time off screen… you’ll see how it improves your mental health. Take a break… it’s worth it!
2. To Allow Yourself To Be Where You Are
Most times we are present in a moment but distracted by our phones. While we are watching a movie at home we see people traveling on our social media apps & boom… now even though we are having a fun day we find ourselves wishing we could be someplace else. The fear of missing out, like they say…. missing out on things. This is not to say we must not do things that we like, we must truly live and thrive in each moment and have goals and desires…. but while we are living and thriving, we must aim to be where we are at all times, only then we are truly living.
3. To Sleep & Wake Up Better
Another reason to do a digital detox would be so you sleep better and of course, wake up happier too. When we sleep right after using our phones we don’t give ourselves space to breathe and slow down our minds. Since we’ve slept with our brain sort of processing information we don’t sleep very well. Because of this, we wake up feeling groggy and not well rested even though we would have slept 7-8 hours. To sleep and wake up better, allow yourself to be as you go to bed. Close your eyes and breathe. Let your mind slow down and notice how wonderful you sleep that night.
4. To Be More Productive
It’s no secret that having our phones by our side reduces our productivity. We end up taking those ‘ scrolling’ breaks and our distracted. To make sure you work better and better functioning allow yourself to do a digital detox. It could be something as simple as not checking your phone during work hours…. or as extreme as having an ‘off tech’ day where you spend your time doing things you love rather than scrolling.
5. To Have Time For Yourself & Do What You Love
This is in line with what I said above about increasing productivity. Doing a no-tech day or a digital detox puts you in a more productive zone…. which also gives you more time to do things you love. When you work better you have more free time. With more time on your hands, you can do more of what you enjoy. Whether it’s playing a sport spending time with your family or even just sitting out to enjoy a sunset.
6. To Strike a Balance In How You Use Technology
Sometimes it becomes a habit, slowly an obsession and it completely takes over. That is something which happens quite often with technology and us, humans. We begin relying on it a lot and every once in a while, it is good to take a break from that. It is good to do things the old way… where you go out and pick your veggies instead of ordering them online. It freshens you up and is just a whole lot better. It is also nicer for us to have human connections, which isn’t possible when we do and get everything online.
7. To Have Work-Life Balance
Back in the day when you stepped out of your office, it was it. There weren’t any emails or instant messaging… once you got home you had all the time to be with your loved ones or connect with yourself. With everything now happening in a digital space and the idea of being ‘instantly reachable’… we are sort of glued to our phones, which of course detaches us from the present. Doing a digital detox helps set clearer work boundaries and helps achieve balance.
8. To Not Feel Overwhelmed
It’s great to have all information at the top of your fingers but the digital space comes with its own set of cons. It’s a place where people try and showcase their best selves. It’s harder to know who is true and authentic. Not everyone out there puts out their struggles and everyone aims to look good on the internet. This puts a lot of pressure on us, we start comparing ourselves to everyone out there. Our insecurities pop up and a lot of times we question ourselves. By doing a digital detox we allow ourselves time off to not get easily overwhelmed.
9. To Break The Patterns
With the lifestyle we all have, we are used to doing everything instantly. We want instant food, we want information instantly… we also are looking for instant gratification and validation from the internet. So going offline on a digital detox breaks those patterns. It gives us time to re-think our priorities, ideas, and beliefs. It makes us question why we do what we do. It also gives us time to be and to not look elsewhere for validation.
10. To Form Real Memories
Remember being little and running around and doing things for the joy of it… not because it might look great on Instagram. Yep, life was simpler… we were simpler. Doing a digital detox gives you the time and head space to be present, to do things you like, and to enjoy the process. So, break free from technology, for an hour, for a day, for a week…. challenge yourself, set time limits, and make real memories (:
I know it’s strange that I’m sharing this piece of going for a digital detox on a web portal, but such is life. No no, we don’t have to eliminate the internet….times have changed, we have all advanced and the internet is a great space…. keeping that in mind, anything in the extreme brings us crashing down. Do you know how computers overused would heat up? Don’t let that happen to you…. find time away from the screens and the digital world. Go outdoors, enjoy your morning tea, and be!