Going on a digital detox? Read this first
Ever feel like you spend your life in front of a device? Be it your work computer, at home on your laptop or in bed on your smartphone, it sometimes seems like even low-level internet addiction consumes our lives, with almost two in three admitting in a recent Ofcom survey that they consider themselves ‘hooked’.
At healthy, we believe in achieving a healthy balance in every area of our lives. With 34 per cent of us taking active measures to switch off and beat signs of technology addiction by opting for a digital detox, according to the study, we’ve rounded up our favourite ways to boost wellbeing in the offline world:
READ MORE: Wake up refreshed with this easy meditation for sleep
Four things to do on your digital detox
Family time
Psychologist Dr Emma Kenny says, ‘the only thing that can truly make us happy are the positive relationships we have with those closest to us’, so spend some time talking in person to your family rather than over a machine.
Running
Going for a run is great for your health, but it’s also a great alternative to being online and helps to distract from internet withdrawal symptoms. Dr Emma Kenny says, ‘making time for exercise and good nutrition can also be side effects of turning technology off, as you feel like you have more hours in the day.’
READ MORE: What’s the deal with running therapy?
Meet a friend for coffee
For many, the internet is our main way of contacting others. However, according to Dr Emma Kenny, ‘you’re more likely to encounter predators, con artists, or narcissists online than you are down the pub with your friends’, so make a date to see a friend you haven’t seen in a while. A detox from Facebook and other social media sites could, ironically, make you more meaningfully ‘social’.
Read a book
Books allow you to become engrossed in fantasy in the same way social media does. Dr Emma Kenny said: ‘people lie, edit their lives and try to produce a reflection of their lives that simply isn’t real.’ So engage in a book; it’ll give you the same feeling as being in the fantasy sharing world online.
What to do if you can’t get away from your iPhone…
Bedtime ban
Many of us use our smartphones up until we have to sleep. Dr Neal Lathia, a data scientist, explains: ‘studies show that staring at smartphone screens in the late hours of the evening negatively affects sleep quality.’ Turn your phone off at least an hour before you go to bed at night.
Media digest
If you cannot bear to be away from your technology, then adapt a digest method by slowing down your media consumption. Dr Lathia says, ‘Future technology could be designed around the “human pace” of conversation and media consumption, rather than being focused on delivering everything quickly.’ Try engaging with long-form articles or leaving meaningful comments on Facebook posts, rather than simply ‘liking’ and scrolling down your feeds.
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