Digital Detox

Most people check their smartphones every 10 to 15 minutes, meaning they spend about five hours a day interacting with their phones. You hold a tiny computer in your hand, and you give it almost half of your attention, assuming you have a 12-hour waking day. These are devices that did not exist 25 years ago but now they rule our lives.

Dr. Anastasia Dedyukhina studies digital distraction and its effects on learning and productivity. She notes that leaping from stimulus to stimulus without pausing to process what we’ve learned is contrary to the brain’s evolutionary path for retaining information. Dashing from email to email or text to text short-circuits the organic process of integrating information.

Smartphone distraction has become a source of anxiety and depression. Experts now recommend that people who are essentially addicted to their smartphones do a “digital detox”—a period when they are unplugged from digital devices.

To do so, first identify how much time you are currently spending on your phone. You can log your phone time for a few days or just pay attention to how frequently you check your phone.

Next, set a goal. Some people choose a certain time period, such as one or two days, to completely swear off phone usage. Others suggest reducing phone time to one hour a day.

Before you start your detox, think about what usually triggers you to check your phone. Try to eliminate or reduce your triggering situations or moments. Decide what you will do instead of checking your phone. Perhaps going for a walk or talking to someone in person would nourish your spirit.

After you finish your detox, reflect on how you feel. Are you less distracted? Less anxious? Less worried about missing out on some vital Instagram post? People who regularly take breaks from technology report higher levels of focus and calm.

You might think you can’t live without your smartphone, but humans survived just fine for over 100,000 years without regularly checking email, scrolling social media, or just playing online games. You can do it, too!

—Elizabeth Danziger