Digital Detox by Fatima Shahzad

In this week’s theme, we will be focusing on calming the mind, especially how we calm the mind by unplugging from the digital world.

Our dependence on digital technology can often lead us to have a stressful and less calm mind. Oftentimes, it is hard to unplug from a world that is fast-paced where technology is dominant in our everyday lives. Maybe engaging in a digital detox could help? 

A ‘digital detox’ refers to a dedicated amount of time spent away from technology. It could be one of the most helpful and beneficial ways to bring your mind calm.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A DIGITAL DETOX?

There could be many benefits of engaging with a digital detox. Some of these might be:

  • More in control of your time - by taking a break from technology, you can dedicate time to doing activities that you love such as creative arts or seeing family and friends, bringing your mind calm.

  • Form real-life connections By sharing real-life experiences and moments with people, places and things, you are able to create connections and memories that you will cherish forever.

  • Build your self-esteem - step away from the digital world of comparison and self-doubt and step towards a more positive and calm world of self-love.  

HOW TO TAKE PART IN A DIGITAL DETOX?

There are various ways we can detox digitally, and not all of them involve giving up our digital devices completely. Here are some ways of reducing our digital intake, and creating more space for calm in our lives:  

Muting notifications
Always getting updated on the online world, whether it be on social media or your work-life can be quite overwhelming and can disturb the calm of your mind, that’s why muting notifications is a really effective way to let go of the online world and be present in the real world.

Deleting the news app

Rangan Chatterjee's book 'The Stress Solution', encourages readers to delete the news app on their phones. Chatterjee discusses in his book that you should ‘only consume news when, and if you want to’. He also adds: ‘I did this a few years and it has transformed my stress levels’; showing you real life proof that taking part in a digital detox results in a less stressful and more calm mind.

No-phone time
Put your phone to one side for a dedicated amount of time. I encourage you to do this during the morning, just after waking up. This will lead you to truly appreciate a new day. I also encourage you to do this in the evening, just before bed. Instead of scrolling on your phone, you could try doing a reflective exercise, reflecting on your day and ask yourself questions such as ‘what brought my mind calm today?’ ‘how can I take part in more calming activities tomorrow?’

TRY THIS…

  • Set yourself a small amount of time aside each week - whatever feels right for you.

  • During that time, I invite you to unplug from the world.

  • You can unplug however you like - by turning off your phone, muting digital media apps, news alerts or email notifications - or  by doing all of these things

  • Be really present in the moment and think about the following questions

  • How does unplugging from technology and taking part in the digital detox feel to me?

  • How can I make it a part of my life?

Sometimes, taking a step back from the digital world is all that we need to calm our minds and form strong connections with the things, people and places that contribute to our calm. What I would like you to remember is that taking part in a digital detox is a journey that takes time, it will be unique to everyone and it is okay to make mistakes on this journey. So don't worry about others, give the digital detox a go, start where you feel comfortable and slowly build it up, helping yourself achieve a calm mind.