Tips for embracing the digital detox in 2022

A digital detox is a period of time when individuals refrain from using technical devices, such as smart phones, televisions, or computers. It’s a way of momentarily removing ourselves from the digital world and instead focussing on real-life situations.  

With the stress that accompanied 2020, and 2021, with the relentlessness of negative news and the increased dependence on digitisation, 2022 is the perfect year to embrace the digital detox. 

The digital detox offers plenty of benefits. It alleviates some of the stress associated with constant connectivity. It allows the individual to welcome relaxation. And it frees up personal time that could be spent socialising, exercising, or learning new skills.  

Here are some tips for charity professionals hoping to digitally detox in 2022.

Designate tech-free hours 

As with most objectives, the digital detox is best achieved by setting realistic goals. Constant connectivity has become part of everyday life, particularly during the pandemic, as social distancing restrictions have reduced the ability to conduct in-person meetings.

Turning off tech completely is not realistic for many people. But regular breaks away from your devices can provide huge benefits. That’s why it’s important to find pockets of time that suit your schedule, where you can move offline.

Tech-free lunch breaks 

Your lunchbreak could be a designated time away from tech. That means taking simple steps to remove laptops, phones, and other devices from the equation.

If you’re meeting a friend, grabbing coffee, or just going for a walk, put your phone away. Research suggests that even having the phone on the table reduces cognitive capacity.

We tend to glance at the phone, waiting for it to light up, and the temptation to check socials is too strong. The absence of the phone will allow you to feel present, improve listening skills and concentration, and generally alleviate stress.

Embrace paper. You could spend your lunch break learning a language from a text book, or practicing the piano with sheet music. Or you could simply settle down with a book.  

Perhaps set yourself a reading challenge. If you put down the phone, switch off the TV, close the laptop, and pick up Shakespeare, you could read the collected works in just six months. 

Keep tech out of the bedroom 

An important element of the digital detox is making your bedroom tech-free. According to research from Harvard Medical School, using our phones, laptops, tablets, and televisions prior to sleeping can disrupt melatonin production, sleep quality, and mood.

According to the research, our constant connectivity means that we are sleeping less and not achieving the same quality of sleep, which over time can develop into serious problems.

So banish all tech from the bedroom during the digital detox and see how it effects your sleeping patterns. That might be slightly harder when working from home, but you can always put laptops in draws, phones in cupboards, or simply unplug the television.