Could You Benefit from a Digital Detox? 5 Signs That you Need to Redress the Balance

Do you find yourself feeling burnt out and unmotivated despite the constant slew of inspirational quotes flooding your social feed?

Or perhaps you find yourself staring aimlessly at your screen, with your fingers swiping the screen, but with each swipe, you find that you feel less and less motivated to do anything other than sitting there staring at your screen. Or here is another downer; your work is mainly comprised of using technology, and your working day is filled with hours upon hours of digital screen time.

Or perhaps, it is none of the above. Maybe you are trying to manage a more serious condition, such as your mental health. If you are struggling with your mental health, such as anxiety, then you may benefit from digital detox as well as lean on external things for support. But before that, here are the five signs that could show you that you could benefit from a digital detox:

1. You waste your time

Okay, that may sound slightly harsh, but let’s call it what it is. If you spend more time than you should, or more time than you intend to, on social media, then you are wasting your time (no matter how motivating the speeches or delicious the recipes).

Technology is fantastic, but it can become a slippery slope. And if you end up slipping and sliding down the slope, it can be difficult even to realize it. That’s why you find yourself on articles such as these because you already know that you are wasting too much time on your digital devices.

Set a limit for yourself. Are you spending more than 15 minutes at any one time scrolling through your social media page, then you are wasting your time? Set a realistic time limit for yourself, do not spend more than 15 minutes use these limits as an intentional block to increase your awareness of your social media usage, and you can begin to use these platforms mindfully.

2. You Immediately feel Guilty Afterwards

How do you feel when you eat a whole lot of junk food? Let’s rephrase that, how do you feel after the delicious flavors have faded and you’re left with the aftermath of your gut feeling?

The flavors fade, but the oils and the dissatisfaction remain. And so, it is with too much scrolling on your socials. Sure, initially it feels great, you may even laugh out loud a couple of times, but after a while, that feeling fades, and you’re left with a pang of guilt, dissatisfaction, or dare we say even emptiness.

If you feel any of these negative feelings directly after you’ve closed your social pages or your digital devices, then you know it is time for a break.

3. FOMO Motivation

If you are only checking your device or social pages out of a fear of missing out; then, you should be ready to take a break from your digital fortresses. All those friendly messages, invitations, and mundane invites can wait- we promise.

If it is serious then people will be able to reach you via a traditional phone call (yes, they still exist).

In order to get rid of that FOMO feeling, consider this; you will also be missing out on something. You can’t possibly stay in the loop for everything, so you might as well just embrace this and carefully select what you what to direct your energy towards.

4. You have Urges

If you find yourself with an intense urge to check your digital devices, for no other reason than because you just have the urge, then it is time to take a break.

Research suggests that these urges can create interruptions, and this distraction can take an average of 23 minutes to return to their initial task. Curb this by turning your phone notifications off (or put it on do not disturb mode) when you are busy with your family or friends, or even if you have an important task to finish.

5. You’re already pressed for time

Are you struggling to fit in everything in your day? If you are anything like the rest of modern-day society, then your answer will most likely be yes. You can install apps that can track how you use your smartphone to help you track your usage. You can see how much time you spend on tasks that have little to no purpose so that you can start comfortably fitting in tasks that need to get done.

At the end of the day, don’t spend your life staring into a screen. Go out and smell the sunshine and feel the roses. Or vice versa, the point is to be more conscious about how you choose to live your life.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels