In this blog, we explore how to start a digital detox, and how to keep it sustainable and specific to your needs.

But what is a digital detox? It really can be whatever you need to do to reduce your screen time or set a boundary with digital devices. For some people this can look like completely downgrading tech and going analogue for a month (using a non-smart phone, an alarm clock) and for others it can be deleting social media apps from their phone for a week, and just using text messages to communicate.

The first step to starting a detox is defining what the problem (or reason) you want to do a detox is for yourself. Is it because you spend too long on certain apps/websites? Are you noticing bad sleep patterns or are you frustrated at the time spent doom-scrolling? Do you have an unhealthy relationship with social media that is affecting your mood? All of these are valid reasons to consider a detox period.

It can be helpful to map out the issue, by writing it in the middle of a page in a diary, and writing the associated moods, emotions and thoughts that it gives you. What wider impacts does it have on your life? What are the benefits of it that keep you going back? What does this tell you about what you value?

Finding other methods to gain what you value can be a powerful tool to begin a sustainable digital detox, that has effects beyond the time of the detox itself. It can allow you to reconnect with the world outside of the digital realm and decentre technology from your life.

However, when you begin a digital detox, it’s important to start small. Setting goals that are too big or for too long can break your motivation and result in you not detoxing properly and getting the full effects. Having an end point is good.

When you set time parameters, think about the scope of other things too – what does your digital detox cover, what kind of apps do you want to stay off, what types of devices? Everything is too wide – connect your problem to your detox to make it targeted and realistic.

Identifying your triggers can be a useful tool for this process. Some phones have screen time controls that also provide other metrics, such as what app you commonly use when you pick up your phone. Knowing things like this helps you identify what triggers you to use your phone on a daily basis, and figure out patterns of when you use it the most, how your time on it is divided by different apps and websites, and when you spend long periods of time on it. What apps do you use to doomscroll when you do? Understanding your habits can allow you to form time or situation sensitive habits that you can practice instead of phone time.

For instance, an after dinner doomscroll might be replaced with an after-dinner crafting session.

A wake-up social media procrastination habit could be replaced with an early morning fifteen-minute wake up walk or matcha making ritual.

Think about goals relating to habits you want to have and skills you want to learn. Reading a book in your target language can be useful compared to scrolling on social media during a lunch break, for example.

Having a plan – concrete or loose – can help you guide yourself through the detox.

List the apps or websites you wish to avoid. When do you use these or why? How will you avoid them – setting limits on the time spent on them, allocating a certain period of the day to them, deleting them and replacing them with a healthy alternative? Figuring what you value from your usage and identifying alternative methods of getting that value is the most effective way to reduce time on them. For the alternative activities you plan to do, set goals – motivate yourself to do them for reasons beyond just getting off the screen. Maybe you want to learn a language as you know it is good for the career you want, or country you’d like to live in – set a goal in accordance with the CEFR.

How will you track progress and stick to the detox? Moments of regular reflection can allow you to remember why you are doing this, and see the progress or impact it has. And, when considering accountability – consider what you will do if the detox breaks? One moment of breaking a detox does not have to end up with the whole detox breaking down if you treat yourself with understanding, kindness and patience. Trying your best to stay off very addictive social media apps like TikTok is a good effort in itself, as many apps are designed for maximising dopamine hits and retaining you.

Setting a reward for the end of the digital detox period can be a strong way to motivate yourself. Is there a fancy restaurant you’ve been wanting to try? A new book coming out that you can’t wait to get? Try to set the reward as something unrelated to what you have been cutting back from – 3 hours doomscroll on Instagram is not really a reward anyway…

Finally, when it is all over – take a moment to reflect. What was difficult about the detox? What was unexpected? What did you enjoy/find a new love for? What did you miss about your old routine? What might you not reintroduce? How did it impact other areas of your life and your relationship with wider tech at work, for instance? Look at the metrics on your phone to also track your progress and see if habits and times have changed substantially.

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