Digital detox – How to start and stick to it

Digital detox – How to start and stick to it

If you know your endless scrolling is affecting your wellbeing, a digital detox might just be what you need to do. You may have heard about people going days without social media however, coaching advises to take small steps to achieve a regular and successful digital detox.

The benefits of a digital detox

We’ve all seen various articles and videos stating how much Social Media sucks the life out of us. However, have you really considered the affects of your daily use? A regular digital detox can have many benefits on your mental wellbeing especially with your self-esteem. Constantly comparing yourself to other people, how they look, their lives will have detrimental affects to your mental wellbeing. Regular breaks from special media will help you balance what your brain consumes and keep you grounded with your values.

Using social media for work

I have to use social media for work purposes and I like it. I also like to share updates of my life on my personal channels for those that I’m not in touch with as much. However, when I do step away, even just for a day, I feel like there is more time in my day. I want to meet with people more and generally, I feel pretty good about myself. The unseen psychological affects of regular social media exposure is not good for our mental health at all. All those filtered/touched-up images or everyone wanting to be the next inspirational speaker or influencer. The pressures to live more seemingly interesting lives can exacerbate if you’re feeling a little down about yourself or life. This is why a regular digital detox will do wonders for your wellbeing.

5 steps to a successful digital detox

1. Self-Care: The Selfies Game
2. Travel: Be Inspired
3. Time: Create a Routine
4. Notifications: Be brave and switch them off!
5. Over-Sharing: You don’t have to do it!

1. Self-Care: The Selfies Game

I like a good selfie, like the rest of us. It’s nice when my ego gets boosted. Feeling confident sharing my selfies when I’m in a good place boosts my mood. However, posting selfies when you’re in need of attention can be very dangerous for your self-esteem. Remember that selfies are a version of someone. They do not tell the whole truth. If someone purely posts selfies, they are usually seeking approval and are probably highly insecure.

If you’re feeling a bit fragile about yourself, copious amounts of gorgeous highly re-touched selfies are going to play havoc with your confidence and self- esteem, so you need to view them with some perspective.

2. Travel: Be Inspired

I suggest this to ALL my clients when looking at a social media cull. Follow more travel content. Be inspired by bloggers who travel for a living. Discover the beautiful photography from National Geographic and follow destinations you would love to visit. These images inspire calmness and creativity, they are welcome distraction from ego-centric images.

3. Time: Create a Routine

Absolutely create a routine for social media viewing. DON’T do it first thing in the morning and DON’T do it last thing at night. Whatever you show your brain, you will instil into it for that day or evening. Those will be the thoughts you start your day with and those will be the thoughts you end your day with.

Be mindful of when you use social media, images are translated in our minds much easier than words. Being in the moment is also very important. Post to social media later, no one cares if you post there and then. Your companions will also appreciate the attention and this is the best kind of attention and interaction you can and should be having on a regular basis.

4. Notifications: Be brave and switch them off!

This is empowering. Just go to your settings and switch them off! If you create a routine to check into your channels, you’re not really going miss anything. No one is going to scold you for replying to a post after a few hours. They may even see you as having a life – and this is the end goal! Have a life! Share on social media by all means but don’t forget to live a life that you are able to share!

5. Over-Sharing: You don’t have to do it!

Why are you sharing so much? Apart from safety issues, ask yourself, what are you trying to achieve by sharing so much of your life/your inner thoughts/your insecurities/ your needs? What this does is attract often the wrong types of people – whether a troll or a person who will amp up your issues and disguise it as support. You don’t need this!

Likes mean nothing. Those likes will not save you if you are drowning – a real person will. They will not comfort you after a break up – a real person will. And they probably will not soothe you after an operation – a real person will. 

Be more mindful about your social media usage and its affects. I consider it a core factor in the devastating game of self-belief and self-worth in the digital age. It’s not worth it. You have so much more to experience and enjoy in life that those channels will not provide. Just be more careful.

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