Digital Detox - reduce stress and reconnect with real life

Digital Detox:

Reduce Stress and Reconnect With Real Life

by Farin Montanez

Be honest: when’s the last time you pooped without your cell phone in your hand? With technology at the tips of our fingers 24/7, idle moments and space for daydreaming are almost non­existent.

Sure, social media, apps, and games make it so that we never have to be bored. But at what cost?

Experts say our hyperconnectedness destroys our patience and prevents us from living in the moment.

Our need for instant gratification is fed by the buzz of every notification, email, and text.

We update our statuses and share photos with the intention of connecting with others, but we’re simultaneously taking time away from the people surrounding us in those moments.

How much time?

A study found smartphone users click, tap, or swipe their phones 2,617 times per day on average. Those in the top 10% of the study touched their phones more than twice as often, at 5,427 times per day. For most users, those touches came in short sessions spread over the course of the day, which equated to a total of 145 minutes and 225 minutes, respectively, that those users spent on their phones.

While two and a half hours on the phone (not talking, but swiping, typing, or tapping) out of 24 in a day doesn’t seem like a lot, it must leave you wondering what could have been done in those hours. What could have been enjoyed? What happened around you while your eyes were focused down at the screen?

Another study found that stress levels directly correlated with cell phone usage. The more people used their smartphones, the higher their reported stress level. The most stressed folks even reported phantom notifications ­­ feeling their phone vibrate when it didn’t actually happen.

The obvious answer to calming stress and reconnecting with the world around us is to simply put away our phones and tablets. But as the saying goes, easier said than done. Many a millennial cannot sit in a cafe and enjoy a soy latte alone without scrolling through their newsfeed or snapping a photo of the barista’s perfect latte art. If it wasn’t documented, did it happen?

The answer is yes. The next time you’re craving a latte, leave your phone in your car or even your pocket. Put it on silent and resist the urge to check it.

Instead of sharing a photo of the barista’s beautiful latte design with your Instagram followers, compliment the barista on their latte art. Chances are, the smile you’ll get in return will make you feel better than a “like.”

Instead of absentmindedly downing that dairy-­free caffeinated delight while scrolling, swiping, and texting, turn your focus on the act of sipping your beverage. How does it smell, taste, and feel?

Take a moment to look around you. Listen to the unique sounds of a busy cafe. Check in with your body. How are you feeling?

If sitting in a cafe alone is not your thing, take time each day to do something without technology.

• Dance.

• Take a bath.

• Go for a walk.

• Cook in silence.

• Read an actual book, not on a Kindle.

• Play dominoes or a game of cards with friends.

Unplug, log out, disconnect, and recharge your own proverbial batteries by experiencing life without screens once in a while.

For baby steps, check out the 7 ­Day Digital Detox my health coaching clients use to reduce stress on the next page. >

7­Day Digital Detox

Monday

Unsubscribe from email lists. You can use a service like Unroll.Me to uncover all of the lists you’ve subscribed to over the years and easily take yourself off of those lists with a click.

Tuesday

Turn off notifications and app icon badges on your phone and tablet. Go into your Notifications setting and switch off ALL apps. Then go down the list and only turn on the important ones, like Messages and Voicemail. After a week, you might find there are some apps you only check because the badge icon or notification prompted you to (but you really don’t care enough about them to open them without those signals). Delete those apps!

Wednesday

Unlink your work email account from your phone. Set your email app to refresh manually, so you can check emails on YOUR time, not every time you receive one.

Thursday

Eat all of your meals without looking at a screen today. See if this becomes more comfortable throughout the day. What do you find yourself doing instead?

Friday

Turn off your phone, tablet, and laptop 60 minutes before you climb into bed. Easy? Try 90 minutes.

Saturday

Enjoy an hour or two with friends and family without posting about it on social media. Go two hours without any screens on, if you spend the day alone.

Sunday

Take a screen­free sabbath. Yes, that means going an entire day without checking in on social media. And even going without Netflix. Challenge yourself to a completely screenfree day and write about how you feel. Was it as hard as you thought it would be? SM

About the writer

Farin Montanez is a certified holistic nutritionist, coach, and blogger based in California. She’s also a mother of two, a military wife, and an ultramarathon runner. Read more about her plant­based coaching services at farinmontanez.com.