Why Taking a Digital Detox is a Prescription for Your Well-Being

The internet can sometimes be draining, and spending too much time online can disconnect us from reality. So let’s discuss the importance of a digital detox. When someone decides to take a break from the digital world, it’s not always a bad thing. Most people normally jump to conclusions when they realize someone is taking a digital detox when in reality, it’s something everyone should take part in.

What is a Digital Detox?

Some may define a digital detox as a cure for social anxiety. Very WellMind describes a digital detox as a timeframe where a person refrains from using technology devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers, televisions, and social media sites. Taking a digital detox is simply taking a break from all things technology or social media. Studies have shown that our relationship with technology and social media can have a significant impact on stress and health. Being constantly connected to our personal technology devices, as Psychology Today would describe it, is one of the most signification sources of stress today.

Choosing to take a digital detox will not only improve your mental health but it can tremendously decrease a great amount of stress in your life.

Improves Productivity

We can get easily distracted and sometimes finds it harder to multitask when we have our digital devices always available at hand. Taking a break allows you to focus on tasks without interruption. When I am having a hard time concentrating on a task because of my phone, I find it easier to concentrate when I put my phone on ‘do not disturb’ or ‘DND’. That way, there are no distractions and I can give my all to the task at hand.

Helps You Reconnect with the Real World

Sometimes we become so consumed and out of touch with the real world and what is going on around us. Consuming too much social media can derail how we view the world outside of us. Some people are led to believe they should act or even look a certain way due to societal standards. Causing unnecessary insecurities and unrealistic beauty standards. Losing sight of the complete fact that you are wonderfully and beautifully made just the way you are.

Better Time-Management

Taking a digital detox can specifically help those who have trouble arriving at places on time. For a lot of us, the first thing we do when we wake up in the morning is pick up our phones. We sometimes treat our phones like the morning paper. And, while sometimes it is…It can cause us to get distracted for longer than we intended. Once it becomes a habit we find ourselves getting deeper and deeper into a rabbit hole. Next thing you know you’ve lost track of time and wasted 3 good hours.

Reduced Levels of Anxiety and Depression

Studies show that people who are addicted to their smartphones have significantly increased levels of anxiety versus those who spend less time on their smartphones. As said many times in this article, excessive screen time has been linked to mental health issues since the beginning of the digital era.

Anyone in the mental health field would describe anxiety as the fear of what’s to come, feeling uncertain is the root of anxiety. You’re probably thinking…”well what does technology have to do with that?”. According to Psychology Today, when we have an unhealthy relationship with social media, posting makes us anxious. We sometimes wonder if we’ll get likes, or what people will think of us, or what if what I post flops? All linking back to anxious thoughts. If we took a step back from the digital world the anxiety will subside.

Overall, taking a digital detox is needed every day but if you use your computer daily to run a blog like myself then it can be impossible sometimes. Carve a specific time of day when you’ll restrict your technology use. If it means not using our phone or computer 5 hours before bedtime then so be it. There’s nothing like bettering your mental health with a digital detox. It might even change your life.

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Jada Goggins

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