A technology detox once a week (or everyday!) can do wonders for us busy individuals – it makes us more present and enjoy the current moment, makes us less anxious and helps us feel calmer and less frantic.
If we are used to replying calls and messages instantly, weaning off technology might make us even more anxious. The trick is to try tech detoxing once a week and progress slowly. I’m not advocating you to be 100% free of technology, but reducing your interaction with a device from 95% of the time to 60% of the time (or lower) will make you feel good mentally.
6 Ways to Start a Tech Detox to be More Present, Have a Clearer Mind, Enjoy Life and Experience Less Anxiety
- Switch off tech gadgets 60 minutes before bedtime. Turn off your mobile phone, laptops and TV an hour bedtime. What can you do during this time? Enjoy a hot shower, journal, talk to your partner, savour a cup of hot tea, meditate, stare into the distance… you name it. A more relaxed mind = better sleep.
- Check your messages at hourly intervals only. Should you be free during a particular day with no urgent matters, check your Whatsapp messages or text messages every hour only, for example, at 2pm, 3pm and so on. With this tactic, you will be in control instead of letting your gadget control you.
- Switch your phone to vibrate mode the entire day. Having your phone beep and ring -sometimes repeatedly – at unexpected times of the day can set off anxiety. Let it be on vibrate mode and check as and when you wish to do so.
- Mute unnecessary Whatsapp groups. This is a no-brainer for some of us. We are sometimes pressured to be included in certain Whatsapp groups which notify us at unearthly hours with irrelevant information. Mute these groups, or if you are gutsy enough, quit those groups.
- You don’t have to reply to every text message or email. Yes, this line says it all. You might have friends or family members who love chatting via Whatsapp, but once it feels draining to reply them, leave them be and reply those messages later or not all.
- You don’t have to answer every call – you can call back later. This is a good tactic to ensure that you have less anxiety. If you don’t feel like answering someone’s call at that point of time, let your phone ring and call him or her back later when you are in a better frame of mind.
Last words
You are not obliged to be at someone’s beck and call, but unfortunately, society has the idea that you are supposed to answer calls and messages instantly or ASAP. You have the liberty to choose when and where you wish to answer your calls and texts. It’s not easy to do so, but once you have set your tech boundaries, your loved ones will get used to it and hopefully, respect those boundaries.
All the best.