6 Reasons Why You Should Try Digital Detox for Your Mental Well-being

If you think your digital habits have gone beyond control; if you have a constant urge to check your phone every 5 minutes or whenever it beeps; and if your family and friends are tired of this habit of yours – you need to go on a digital detox. ‘Digital detox’ is not about shutting your phone for an hour – it is withdrawal from your smartphones, tablets, laptops, and all things digital to focus on better things in life. You may not realise it now, but spending endless hours staring at a screen is not doing any good for your mental or physical health, which is why the need for a Digital Detox has come to light!

6 Reasons That Will Convince You to Go on a Digital Detox

Here are some valid reasons that will make you believe why going on a digital detox is so important.

1. To Get Rid of Insomnia

An average adult needs 7-8 hours of undisturbed sleep at night to function properly, and we know you’ve already read this on several different sites when you searched for ‘how to sleep well at night’ on Google. But, there is a difference between knowing it and following it. One of the reasons why you get less sleep at night is that you’re glued to your phone before going to bed. The blue light emitted by mobile screens suppresses the production of melatonin (the hormone which regulates the body’s sleep cycle) in your body, thus messing up your sleep routine. Not only does this result in tiredness, but also puts you at a risk of many health problems, like heart disease, depression, weight gain, and anxiety. To avoid all these health issues, going on a digital detox is a small price to pay!

2. To Kick Away Depression and Stress

You check your social media 15 times a day, and every time you scroll, you notice the happening and eventful lives of your friends. One friend is holidaying in Corsica, other got hitched a day ago, someone else had a baby – and you’re left wondering why your life is so dull and boring? Spending time on social media, scrolling through the feeds of others only depresses and stresses you out. The key to saying goodbye to depression and regaining your freedom is this – shut down your laptop, keep your phone aside, and look at the positive things in your life. Once you keep those gadgets aside, you’ll have a lot of time to yourself. Sit in your room, read a good book, play your favourite song from the ‘90s – your stress will vanish into thin air.

3. To Improve Your Focus

You feel proud when your friends compliment you about your multitasking abilities or the fact that you get all your work done on time, don’t you? But you know it deep down that multi-tasking (sometimes) affects the quality of your work. People do high-quality work when they focus on one thing. If you check your phone while you are in the middle of an important task, that task will probably skimp on quality. But you don’t have to feel guilty – digital distractions make it hard for us to focus on one thing. However, all is not lost – not yet! Turn off that culprit (your phone) and go on a digital detox for a couple of weeks; you will see the (good) difference in your working pattern. You’ll also be able to concentrate better and work faster.

4. To Rekindle Your Creativity

When was the last time you painted, played volleyball, or perhaps played your favourite instrument? Can’t seem to recall, right? You’ll never be able to recall if you come home from work and bury your nose in your phone for 3 hours at a stretch. Spending all your free time on a phone can curb your creativity, and all your fresh ideas will come from the sites that you recently visited! Don’t be a slave to a website for an idea; spend some time alone, and think. Invest some time in your hobbies; paint, indulge in craft activities or play the guitar. Shut off your laptop and phone and let out that creative side of yours – you’ll be happy and your brain will function better!

5. To Battle Anxiety

Our day starts with checking the Whatsapp statuses of our friends, replying to messages, and reading the not-so-necessary notifications on our phone. The day when there is no notification or message, you suffer from FOMO (yes, the well-known fear of missing out!). The excessive use of smartphones has been linked to social anxiety because being online constantly, going through the posts of others, and sitting around for the messages and notifications that may or may not come may make you anxious, which can ultimately affect your health. Hence, to win this fight against anxiety, you need to tackle the cause of it. Start with digital detox; you’ll see a significant improvement in your mental health.

6. To Boost Your Self-esteem

Internet and social media has connected you with all the lost friends of yours, but are you really connected to them? By sharing your pictures on social media and waiting for likes and comments, you seek validation from your friends and strangers. And not getting enough likes or good comments can crush your self-esteem. Looking at the perfect lives of others and comparing your lives with them can also make you feel insecure. Hence, you need to give yourself a break. Cut your ties with social media, internet, phones, and computers for some time; you’ll understand that you don’t need validation from someone else. You’ll be in the real world and your own happy space!

So, these are some reasons that (we hope) will convince you to go on a digital detox for your own mental peace. But, the benefits of going on a digital detox are not limited to mental health alone, digital detox takes care of your physical well-being, too. Here’s how!

1. It improves your posture – The time you spend hunched on your laptop or staring down at your phone affects your spine, neck, and overall posture. Limited use of gadgets or a complete no to them will considerably improve your spinal health. Over time, your constant complaints of back pain will decrease, too.

2. It relaxes your eyes – Digital eye strain is a common problem in this day and age. If only your eyes could speak, they’d tell you how much they hurt when you stare at your computer or smartphone for endless hours of the day. For your screen addiction, your eyes pay the price. But going on a digital detox can provide some respite to your eyes. Give them the freedom they deserve, let your eyes wander on the buildings in the distance or on lush green fields.

3. It gives you time for exercise – Do you feel that there are not just enough hours in a day to complete all your tasks? If yes, then there’s a possibility that you might be spending more than the scheduled time on your phone. If you don’t believe us, then go on a digital detox, you’ll have lots of spare hours. You can utilise these hours (okay! maybe just 1 hour) for exercising. You can start exercising and make up for all that time you spent on that chair, couch, or bed – slouching and staring at your phone. A digital detox can get you back in shape.

Now that you are well-acquainted with the reasons why a digital detox is the need of the hour, it’s time you go on one. You can go on a complete digital detox or take baby steps towards it – the choice is yours! Rest assured because your journey to digital detox and beyond will be fulfilling – you’ll have time to introspect and people to talk to. And you’ll truly understand the concept of JOMO – the joy of missing out!

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