The Benefits a Digital Detox Has on Your Mind and Body

Phones, tablets, laptops, PCs, the TV — even Alexa! If you’re an average person, your life revolves around digital technology, right? Barely a minute goes by that notifications aren’t pinging or you aren’t immersed in scrolling through socials, watching a show, or doing something else with one of the many cool bits of tech in your life.

So how much time is the average person spending in the digital world? Here are a couple of stats:

• The average daily usage of social media in 2022 is about 147 minutes — or about two and a half hours!
• The average time spent daily on digital media in the United States is 482 minutes — or eight hours!

And that’s why it’s time to take a break! Maybe even try a digital detox challenge. While we’re not exactly melting our brains with all this digital consumption, it can have some big effects on our minds and bodies. At the least, all that sedentary time can lead to a decline in physical fitness. It also increases stress in a lot of people — and social media, in particular, is known to exacerbate self-esteem and self-image issues.

In the worst case? Depression, anxiety, poor sleep patterns — even digital addiction, all of which can lead to problems at work and in your social life.

So let’s do it! If you want to make a change, we’ll show you what a digital detox is, how you can do it, and the benefits you’ll get from it!

Doing the detox: Benefits

Before you lock up your phone and shut off the TV, you want to know the benefits, right? There are several:

• Time away from tech helps you lower stress and feel more content. No more comparing yourself to social media or worrying about that nonstop flood of notifications!
• You’ll get more done. Ever find yourself scrolling when you should be doing something else? Once you put the phone down, you may find yourself picking up other things.
• Most all forms of digital consumption require you to sit while you scroll, read, or watch. Less time glued to a screen means more time to get up, move around, and stay healthy.
• You’ll likely sleep better. Consuming content keeps your brain active and light from screens can disrupt your body’s melatonin production. It’s a one-two punch that can seriously degrade sleep quality, not to mention the number of Zs you get.

How to start digital detoxing

If the idea of giving up your phone causes your stress levels to rise, don’t worry! Digital detox means finding ways to take breaks from the digital world. It doesn’t mean that you have to go dark for days or weeks on end — although you can, if a full-on digital fast sounds refreshing to you!

The best way to go about digital detoxing is to think about behaviors you’d like to change — then make goals to change them. Too much time plopped in front of the TV? Make going for walks a part of your detox. Trouble sleeping because you’re too busy scrolling? Make a rule to put your phone down a certain amount of time before bedtime. If social media is the issue, place time limits on time spent browsing — or delete the apps from your phone so that you can only browse social media on specific devices.

That’s all it takes — and here are some tips and tricks to get you started:

• If your phone is the problem, try scheduling intervals of phone-free time. For example, make a point to stop reaching for the phone every time there’s a notification, and instead, allow yourself to check it every 15 or 30 minutes.
• Try a digital detox app. These can take lots of forms, from apps that track your phone’s usage so you can see what you’re doing and how much time you spend on it, to apps that block your favorite (and most distracting) websites.
• Silent mode is your friend! Switch the sound off to make it easier to resist the temptation to reach for the phone every time it makes a sound.
• Designate phone-free time before bedtime. This lets you unwind naturally so that you can fall asleep easier once you’re cozy under the covers.
• Consider turning off your phone overnight. Even if you don’t wake up, random pings and buzzes can disturb you while you sleep.

Don’t forget to save money on things to do when you’re not doing digital things!

Looking for books, hobby supplies, or the right ingredients to try a great new recipe? These are all great ways to spend time away from the digital world—and you can find discounts and deals on them in your weekly Save mailer!