Why You Should Do A Digital Detox
Staying Away From Your Screen Can Be Healthy!
In the year of 2025, we've all become reliant on our phones. Whether you're using it for work, to connect with family or just to stay up-to-date on the latest gossip, we've all got our heads down and bright light blasting into our eyeballs. It's probably not a surprise that all this technology isn't the greatest for your health.
A
research review noted that frequent technology use has been linked to heightened attention-deficit symptoms, impaired emotional and social intelligence, technology addiction, social isolation, impaired brain development, and disrupted sleep in some cases.
By doing a digital detox, you can refresh your phone habits so that you're not constantly checking your device throughout the day. We know that for most people, getting rid of technology all-together is an impossibility. That's why this blog post will focus on how to cut-down your phone and screen use, not completely erase it from your life.
What is a Digital Detox?
A digital detox is a period of time where an individual intentionally refrains from using digital devices like smartphones, computers, and social media. It's a way to reduce digital dependency, gain awareness of technology usage, and promote engagement with the real world without distractions.
Let's go over some tips that will help you dive into your Digital Detox and come out a less technology-reliant person!
1. Start Small
If you're REALLY addicted to your phone, you're going to inevitably have a hard time starting your digital detox. The best way to beat this is to start small. Don't immediately delete Facebook and Instagram from your phone and swear you'll never download them again (trust me, you'll be back on in 5 minutes). Start with a small goal of taking 15 minute breaks from your phone and then work up from there.
2. Turn Off Push Notifications
Having your phone light up every time someone comments on your post or sends you a message can be really distracting. Luckily, there are many ways to fix this. All you have to do is go into your settings and turn off push notifications for the apps that are distracting you the most. You can always turn them back on when you need, but most of the time, if it's not something super important, you should leave them off. Using the 'Do Not Disturb' feature is also a great way to silence notifications from coming into your phone and can easily be turned on and off whenever you please.
3. Downgrade Your Phone
In 2025 it feels like every phone is a smart phone. However, there are many companies that still offer support for old school flip phones or other non-smart devices. If you need your phone to call people but not really for anything else, consider downgrading your phone. You will be a lot less tempted to pick it up if you can't access your usual social media apps. Maybe have an old school phone to carry with you throughout the day and leave your smart phone for use strictly at home.
4. Limit Certain Apps
While our phones are designed to keep us engaged, they also have many built-in options that allow us to become disengaged. For instance, all major phones have the ability to put limits on certain apps. Only want to use Instagram for an hour each day? Put a time limit on it. After you've reached your limit, you will not be able to access that app until the next day. Sometimes, it takes brute force to get us to stop an unhealthy habit.
5. Create No-Phone Areas
A great idea to keep yourself away from your phone is to create no-phone areas in your home. Many people make their bedroom a no-phone area to ensure they stay away from their phone during bedtime. Looking at a screen right before you go to bed can hurt your circadian rhythm, so this is a great idea not only for a digital detox, but also improving sleep quality as well.
6. Grayscale
Part of the reason we're all so addicted to our phones is because of the vibrant colours. They're pleasing to look at and makes scrolling through our phone much easier on the eyes. But did you know you can actually turn these bright colours off? Most smartphones offer a grayscale option, which turns off the vibrant colours on your phone and makes everything look black and white. This might seem like it has no benefits, but if you're trying to digitally detox, it might be something to consider. You'll be a lot less tempted to spend time looking at your phone if it's devoid of it's classic colours. It might not be a solution for all, but it's worth giving it a shot.
7. Put Away Phone During Meals
As the saying goes, a millennial cannot eat a meal alone without watching YouTube. It may be hard to stay away from the screen while eating dinner, especially if you live alone, but many health experts recommend putting your phone away during meals. It's important for us to dedicate time each day to self-reflection and meditation and meal times are a great opportunity to do that. If we don't look at our phones while eating, we are able to appreciate the taste more and be relaxed without trying to stimulate your mind with a new Netflix series.
8. Spring Clean Your Social Media Accounts
Sometimes, it's not about the fact you're scrolling through your news feed, it's about what you see when you scroll through. Take the time to go through each of your social media accounts and unfollow or delete anyone/any page that might feed negativity into your life. You are in control of who you follow and you don't have to feel obligated to see life updates from everyone on your friends list. You don't have to delete them all together, but muting or unfollowing them so they don't constantly pop up in your news feed everyday can be beneficial to gaining positivity on Social Media. Remember, it's your account, no anyone else's and no one can tell you how to run it.
9. Avoid Eye Strain
Canadians spend an average of over 6 hours looking at a screen per day. This can contribute to eye strain, dryness and headaches. A good way to avoid this is to follow the 20-20-20 rule. After 20 minutes of looking at a screen, look at an object 20 feet away in the distance and stare at it for 20 seconds. Do not forget to blink, this will help alleviate constant stress on your eyes. It's also a good idea to take breaks from texting, as constantly looking down at your phone can cause neck problems, and excessive typing on your phone can cause problems in the fingers.
10. Don't Wake Up To Your Phone
This might seem a little crazy since everyone uses their phone as an alarm clock these days, but there are many benefits to using an old school alarm over your phone to wake up in the morning. It is recommended that you shouldn't look at your phone within the first 30 minutes of waking up. Instead, you should focus on self-care practices like stretching or meditating. Not looking at your phone when you first wake up will help fix your constant need to check for updates. Plus, it allow you to breathe and give yourself some time before jumping into the day.
Conclusion
Everyone needs their phone at some point in the day, so getting rid of it completely is out of the question. However, we don't need to be tethered to it either. We can have a healthy relationship with technology and we shouldn't be completely reliant on it. Remember to take time each day to shut off the screen and relax, it will help you a lot in the long run.
