We’re on our screens more than ever. For some people, digital devices shape and seem to dictate their entire day. But sometimes we could do with a reset. Here are five signs you need a digital detox.
- You’re not productive
If you’re trying to work, or study, or concentrate on something and getting nowhere, you’ve likely been sitting and looking at screens for too long. Often a short walk – just 10 minutes, even – does more for our creativity and productivity than slaving away at the same problem in the belief that working harder will lead to more results. That leads to neither more – or better – results. Rather, it’s likely to mean poorer, confused work. We’re made to be in nature and the benefits have been well-studied. If you have access to a park, forest, field, or beach, take a break, breathe in some fresh air, and reap the benefits when you return to the desk.
- You’re responding to everything on social media
Sometimes we develop a habit where we feel the need to respond to everything. If you’re seeing comments and instantly clicking ‘like’ or the thumbs down or commenting, without feeling passionate about the subject or opinion, you might have slipped into an unhelpful routine of interacting with an endless list of things that don’t matter. Sometimes we need to switch off from other people’s thoughts, and spend some time with our own.
It's so easy to pick up our phone and look for instant gratification, but that short-lived satisfaction often (unfortunately) comes with anger-inducing clickbait videos and titles, annoyances, controversies that we get sucked into.
- You’re getting antsy indoors
If you’ve noticed you’re feeling caged in, there’s a good chance you’re spending too much time on screens. Computers and phones have a way of making us forget there are ceilings above us and walls around us – a completely foreign situation throughout much of human history. We are meant to go outdoors often and for long periods. Of course, it’s sensible to find shade when the temperature is extremely high, but we certainly aren’t made to be cooped up.
If your digital detox holiday involves an actual physical holiday, where you travel and have a change of scene, be careful about how you do spend any time online. It may be tempting to quickly check messages or watch a streaming service just for one sitcom episode or one sports match, but sometimes it’s better to switch off completely. If you do decide to use the internet on your travels, be careful using Wi-Fi if you’re not sure about the connection. In this case, a VPN may be helpful for security. You can find out what ExpressVPN offers on their site.
- Your eyes hurt
Our eyes are made to look at things that are far away. Some opticians recommend the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. You can take this a bit further and benefit from a proper mental break: using the Pomodoro technique, work or read or watch in periods for 25 minutes, then have a five-minute break.
During those five minutes, you might look out the window then dance to a song, or make a cup of tea, or do anything else away from screens: look at something outside and try to draw it, prepare some vegetables for dinner, or, if you have a garden, take a few steps outside. During any of these activities, you’ll be looking at something further away than a screen, which is usually unnaturally close to us with such a huge load of information. Our eyes want a break.
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