Six Tips to Make Your Digital Detox Easy To Do

Practical strategies to make the choice of distraction less favourable.

Do you find yourself picking up your phone, seeing a notification, and then forgetting why you picked it up in the first place? Maybe you’re picking it up just out of habit or boredom.

Is Youtube or Netflix the easiest choice when you get home after work? You originally thought you’d get a few things done, but one episode turned into three and now it’s time for bed.

My suggestions are just a few things we changed around our home and tested with our own devices. Yes, I too recognized my default choice of social media and movies were the reason I wasn’t doing other activities and hobbies that I used to love.

Ask yourself this:

• Are there small projects around the home that seem to never get done?
• Do you watch more than 5 hours of tv, movies, Youtube, social media a week?
• Do you find it challenging to get to sleep without checking your phone before bed?
• Is your phone the first thing you look at in the morning?
• Do wish you had more time to pursue hobbies?

If you answered “Yes” to one or more of the above questions you might enjoy trying some of my suggestions.  If you are uncertain that your screen time is too high, I also recommend trying to audit how much you spend on your devices and watching a screen. You can audit your time with a simple paper and pen. Or you can try an application that will log how much time you’re using your screen.

1. Hide the Television

We downgraded our 60″ flatscreen television to a 20″ screen and it now sits behind a picture of art. We found that the television was always the centre of attention in a room and we wanted to set up our space without it being a focal point.

Now when we want to watch something we just move the painting and put it back when we’re finished. We watch less and play more. If you’re not willing to compromise on the size of the tv that’s Okay. We still recommend have something to hide it when not in use or playing something on the screen like a fish tank or fireplace 🙂

2. Create a Hidden Charging Station

My phone gets put away in a cupboard around 7:00 – 8:00 pm every night and it doesn’t come out until after my morning routine is finished. Putting the charging station behind cupboard doors made it easier for me to distance myself from mindless scrolling in the evenings.

Yes, some of you may gasp when thinking about whether or not someone could get a hold of me by phone when it’s on silent. The truth is, I feel the risk is worth the peace and quiet I get from not having it close at hand. Everyone is different and will have different levels of comfort, so choose something that feels right for you. You can still keep your ringer on, but have your phone put away.

3. Go Back to the Alarm Clock

Yep. The phone had become our everything, including the morning wake up call to get out of bed on time. However, both Emilio and I noticed after a while that our phones weren’t just being used as alarm clocks in the bedroom. We were both developing habits of checking emails, reacting to notifications, and basically not sharing with each other before bed anymore. 

We recognized our habit was interfering with our love life and ability to fall asleep easily, so we went to a second-hand store and bought two old alarm clocks. It’s been two years now with the no phone in the bedroom rule and it made a big difference for our health and the health of our relationship.

And for those of you who are wondering, no, we have not missed out on any news or emergencies that we would have needed our phones right by our beds for. Simply by going back to “old technology” we were giving ourselves a huge digital detox.

4. Use a Timer

A really effective exercise in limiting your email and social media time is to batch the time together. Meaning, instead of checking emails or updates as they happen, you block off a specific amount of time at intervals during your day and use a timer.

Both Emilio and I started using this practice because we found that we were working longer than we needed too, essentially because we were being ineffective. And let’s face it unless that email is labeled “ASAP” or “Emergency” (ps. why aren’t they calling you?) then it can wait the 1-2 hours before your next time slot of emails.

So for example, I check my emails three times a day. Once in the morning, once after lunch, and then lastly before the end of the work day. I allow 20 minutes for social media once or twice a day — this has been the most challenging hurdle to get over. Remember you set the time limits and the frequency. Everyone has to start somewhere. 

5. Plan Your Ideal Week

There is no sense in freeing up your time if you aren’t sure about what you’ll do with it. And maybe that newly discovered free time is spent with a little more idleness or meditation, not every minute needs to be filled with activities.

I draw out a basic weekly template in my bullet journal (you can use a printout or piece of paper) to visualize where my time goes and map out how I’d like to spend my time. Emilio and I created a video tutorial to create your own bullet journal template and explain the exercises. You can also find more information about this exercise in our book A Recipe For An Extraordinary Life. Organization | Minimalism | Self Care. 

When you can visually see your week it bring an awareness about the time you have and where you spend it. This exercise is not supposed to make you feel like a slave to a schedule, but more of an inspiring exercise to make your daily life reflect your goals and aspirations. Because if you don’t decide how to spend your time, someone else will.

6. Plan a Potluck

It’s amazing how a little company of friends or family can give you more endorphins than that “like” button on Facebook. I think it’s important that every now and again you get social, but allow it to be a burden. Let everyone participate in sharing the preparation of food and even the cleanup.

Most people don’t allow their guests to help with clearing dishes or putting the furniture back, but you should accept the help. It allows your friends and family to feel involved and allows them to return the gratitude of being invited to your home.

Of course, we always love having potlucks because of the variety, the conversation, and the effort of hosting is far less draining. Because getting social is supposed to be about sharing time, catching up, and enjoying good food; not about feeling stressed or anxious about all the clean up that will be left behind.