Do you do a regular digital detox?

It’s no secret that I love my phone and I am very reliant on it for every day life management as well as communication but every now and then, I do a digital detox.

Find out why?

I use my phone for the usual things:

E-mail, calls, messaging, photos, diary planning.

I also use it to monitor my exercise, for listening to music and podcasts, for managing work issues with various apps, as well as for meal planning, making notes, reminders, apps that work for homeschool and for keeping up with the teen’s school.

And the big one… social media and watching media.

My name is Karen and I am rather addicted to my phone.

Don’t get me wrong, smart phones are amazing tools, but sometimes we become so reliant on them we cannot manage without them.

It’s actually good to spend time not on your phone, and for me, as a person who does things “properly” I prefer to thoroughly detox from my phone.

I usually take two weeks off when we go on holiday but sometimes I go the extra mile and take time off when we are at home and I can manage life around not needing my phone. I shut off all social media and use a brick phone for a week or two for emergency contact if needed.

Taking some time off from your phone or other devices can be good for you. As amazing as they are, they also can be a cause of stress and sleep disturbances.

I do find that sometimes the constant exposure to the world that my phone and other digital devices gives me can be bad for my mental health, so every now and then I plan some time out.

But how?

It’s actually relatively easy.

I pick a week when I am not working, so work don’t need to get hold of me. I put my out of office on e mail and whatsapp in case they try. Strike one.

I hand off any blog stuff to the very lovely VA that helps me a bit. Strike two.

I look at my week and what I would need my phone for, and I plan around that. So if we are going out or I have plans to meet someone I make sure they know I don’t have a phone. The school and other people who might need to get hold of us have the husband’s contact details so there is always an adult they can reach. Strike three.

I look at apps I use and what I need to move over to “old school” manual ways. I write everything down anyway, so that helps, and I also have a paper diary so my phone is back up. Strike four.

I do have a brick phone, but I am trying to avoid using that, it’s an old style Nokia that does calls and texts.

Calls are diverted to a voicemail that tells people I am not available, and when I will be back and what to do if they can’t get hold of me and it’s like REALLY urgent. Strike five.

And the final thing? Tell social media what you are doing so people don’t think you have died when you don’t post on Twitter or Instagram as usual. Strike six

There are actually more things I do, but I am saving these for another post.

I try to do a minimum of two days but aim for five. By the time I come back to my phone, I am glad to have it back in my hands but also feel refreshed and less stressed. I also find my love for reading books, knitting, and doing all the things that sometimes the phone replaces. I also sleep better.

I love my phone, my phone runs my life, but it can’t own my life. A digital detox every now and then reminds me that there is life beyond the smart phone that I manage life with. It’s good for me.

Would you try this? Do you think you need to?