Oh, how we love our screen time. There are online casinos calling our name; there are game levels to reach; there are live stream concerts and athletic events; there’s international dating to do; and, of course, we cannot forget shopping and our social media accounts. And these are just during our non-working hours (should be, anyway). Most of us use devices at work too, at least for communication, but often as a part of project work and other tasks.

What if your devices were to be cut off for 24 hours during a non-work period of time? Would you suffer some form of withdrawal? Probably, at least in the form of mild anxiety and dysphoria. And what would you do to replace that screen time?

Digital Detox is Important

So, let’s talk about why a digital detox is important every once in a while. Researchers have concluded that the average person globally spends 6 /12+ hours each day in front of screens. It’s the first activity upon waking and the last activity before bed at night. They make it easy to stay connected to the world of news, to family and friends, and to our games and other entertainment.

However, researchers have also found that so much screen time has some negative consequences – loss of focus (cluttered brain syndrome), physical discomfort, lack of quality sleep, and stress.

Now, we may be able to justify all of our screen time by telling ourselves that we do have downtime throughout our days and nights. We take the dog for a walk, we cook and eat a meal, we go to our kids’ sports games, we go to an occasional concert or out for drinks and dinner.

Have you had a chance to really observe yourself and others during these times? While walking the dog, are you on the phone?

While cooking a meal, are you using hands-free tools to talk or message others? While at your kids’ sporting events, is your nose buried in your phone too? While out for drinks and dinner, how many times are you checking your phone for messages or taking an “important call?”

The point is this: you and at least one of your devices are rather “attached at the hip.”

Digital Detox Suggestions

Pretend it’s 1950. How did people conduct work? What did they do during their non-work hours? They connected person-to-person and spent their non-work hours in non-digital activities (in the early 50’s, many households did not even have TV sets – Yikes!).

When you decide to go device-free for just 24 hours, here are all of the things you can still do. You may need to plan that day in advance because some activities must be scheduled.

• Take a one-day course or class in something of interest – gourmet cooking or dance, for example. Your brain will have to focus on what you are doing with your hands (and feet), and this activates unused brain cells that may have been dormant for a while. And when you finish successfully, your brain releases endorphins. Plus, you get the pleasure of consuming what you make.
• Visit a library and pick out a physical book to take home and read.
• Go to a museum nearby – any type of museum will do. Pick one that interests you.
• Take the dog for a longer walk and leave the phone at home.
• Play cards or board games with friends and family
• Start a journal to identify and process your thoughts, ideas, and feelings. Schedule one hour every other day or so to just write.
• Volunteer for something that gives you a sense of pleasure and accomplishment – a soup kitchen, a homeless or animal shelter, tutoring kids, etc.
• Take on a DIY project – the paint in that bathroom isn’t getting any fresher.
• Get some colored pencils and an adult coloring book. This will let your mind just wander around while you create your masterpiece – it’s good to let the brain just go into free-thought mode
• Start a garden – indoor or outdoor.
• Have a spa day – book one for yourself or as a couple – you’ll come out relaxed, refreshed, and feeling physically and mentally amazing.
• Go thrift store shopping with a friend or partner. This can be an all-day thing as you find hidden treasures and then include lunch and maybe drinks and dinner afterward.
• Go to a nearby lake, have a picnic, rent a boat, and even go fishing if you used to do that for pleasure.

• Hit a farmer’s market. You’ll find fresh produce but much more. Local vendors have booths for all sorts of things, and there will be food trucks to satisfy your hunger for something you don’t usually eat often.
• Go camping, even if only in your backyard. Pitch a tent, build a small campfire, makeup ghost stories to tell, roast some marshmallows, and then try to name the constellations you see.
• Declutter your space. This includes your closets. Pile up those unnecessary items and donate them. For many, this will consume an entire day or more, but think about how good you’ll feel!
• Host a potluck or a block party – invite friends and/or neighbors – engage in person-to-person conversation and fun.
• Get your budget in check. Many of us don’t even know why, when, and how we spend our money – sad but true. Sit down with a pencil and paper and develop a budget that will work for you. Don’t use an online budget creator tool at first. Think through the necessities, the near necessities, and the luxuries that you know you spend your paycheck on. What can be cut in order to save and invest in your future? Once your digital detox is over, use an online tool to help you finalize that budget. Your future will thank you.

Is This a Complete List?

Of course not! But it is a start, and other ideas should be generated for how you can spend time away from your devices.

Once you do this for 24 hours, you may be able to see how non-device time is valuable, lowers your stress levels, and actually brings personal pleasure into your life. And once you see this, you will be far more prone to schedule digital detox days on a regular basis. Your body and your brain will thank you.