How to Take 7 Easy Steps to A Digital Detox

Ever heard of "digital detox"? Many learned this in 2010 when American musician John Mayer completed a week-long detox and encouraged fans to hitchhike him. Maybe you´ve heard of "Digital Detox Week," an annual April event sponsored by Adbusters magazine that recommends reducing digital stimulation.

What exactly is a "digital detox"?

Thinking, also called “tech detox,” “digital cleansing,” or perhaps “e-tox,” is to easily clear your mind of overstimulation and information overload and restore balance to your life. You know, that "healthy feeling".

Urban Dictionary defines "e-tox" as "detoxification from electronic and/or digital devices". Adbusters recommends meditating on your relationship with your box, reflecting on slowing down, and reconnecting with reality during a detox.

But really, what you´re doing is a detox. You know yourself and your needs best. So, detox your way! Read on for some ideas...

Why detox?

Plain and simple, because too much of a good thing may not be a good thing.

Your "Why" may be different from mine. My last 48 hours of digital detox have allowed our mind and body to rest more. We need to do a variety of fun, relaxing things. Of course, We also wanted to test our relationship with technology and prove to ourself that We am not an internet addict (most of us are probably not so sure!). Did our digital life control me, or did I?

So, what´s in it for you?

7 Steps to Make Your Digital Detox Easier

Of course, you can dive right in or use any or all of these 7 tips to make your detox easier:

1) Select a time range. Reduce digital stimulation for a weekend or a week. Or do a regular weekly cleaning, for example, in a block every Saturday, Sunday or every evening. For me, putting it on and off every day was more difficult than a long-term detox, so we started the easy way. While any option may sound like a stretch, we recommend choosing a doable and realistic timeframe!

2) Decide on the terms. What are the demands of your work and family life? Is our email and phone use OK or are you going to clean 100% offline without a phone? We really wanted to pull the plug during our 48-hour detox, so we only checked phone messages once a day in case a therapy client was in crisis. Make a list of the ways you are regularly "connected" and decide what to do based on location (work, home, other), a device (phone, computer, iPad...) or activity (email)., text, game, web browsing, Googling, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram...).

3) Reduce temptation. Limit access to digital events. Uninstall Twitter, Facebook and other apps from your phone if necessary. You can easily reinstall them later. Will you leave your computer on 24/7? Will you always carry your phone with you or will you leave it behind? We had a harder time with our phone handy. What will happen if people around you use technology? It was hard to see our husband online during our detox!

4) Tell others that you are detoxing. Announce it on Twitter and Facebook or get a holiday email. This can reduce the flow of incoming messages. Plus, accountability works! Invite others to participate in offline activities like a walk, coffee, or dinner with a friend—numerical powers.

5) Get help for the journey. As you know, one gram of prevention is worth one kilogram of treatment. What will you do when things get tough? Make a list of alternatives to "plug in" for these moments of withdrawal: diary (which also helps with self-reflection), read, exercise, take a bath. Don´t leave it to chance. Gather all the help you can in advance.

6) Just do it! Even if the urge to return to your digital world drives you crazy, be in the moment whenever you can. Draw attention to your senses: take a deep breath and smell nature, watch the sunset with your loved one, listen to music that appeals to your soul, get a massage if you can. While we were initially counting the hours until our detox was over, as time passed, feelings of relaxation and euphoria began to creep in. See how it goes for you!

7) And now what? After detoxing, close your eyes and take an inventory of how you feel inside: Is your inner speed different? How does your mind and body feel? Was it worth it? When We got back, we felt better and relieved to know that everyone and everything online was still there. But most importantly, we were more "there" than before.

Detoxing once can increase awareness and provide some relief, but it´s unlikely to form a new habit. How healthy do you want to be? You can simply press the Detox Repeat button. The choice is yours!