A digital detox sounds like a lovely idea but it’s hard to commit to when you’re a busy mum. Afterall, that thirty minutes binge of mindless Tik Toks of strangers dancing in car parks or another rendition of ‘plastic off the sofa’ by Beyoncé are essential to decompress after a full day with a toddler, am I right?
So why bother?
According to research, a digital detox can help with depression as well as other health benefits such as a reduction in stress. It’s easy to say as busy mums, we want less stress but our very actions of leaning on digital to relieve it can be ironically exacerbating it.
Below I share what a digital detox is, what some of those benefits of doing it as a mum are plus how you can be successful in doing it when you’re ready to switch off from the online world and plug into your present world for a hot minute.
What is a digital detox?
Put simply, a digital detox is when you completely abstain or intentionally reduce the time spent using your phone or other electronic devices. The purpose is to disconnect from the digital and connect more with your present, finding peace of mind within that. The most commonly associated detox is one from social media.
What are the benefits of doing a digital detox?
1. Reduce stress
There have been numerous studies that show how having a digital detox can help improve our mental well-being even by carrying out short bursts of it.
2. Increase productivity
Social media and procrastination go hand in hand, so it will come as no surprise that abstaining from these platforms can help improve our focus and thereby increase our productivity. Social media provides too many distractions as well as fragmentation of thought. When you can switch off you can do more deep work and achieve what you need to.
3. Better sleep
This will not come as a surprise either but switching off our devices before bed can help us have better and deeper sleep. The reason is the ability to not to take all that blue light in but also the endless scrolling of content which we can also find hard to switch off from as our brain still processes it long afterwards. A mini rule of no phone within 30 minutes of going to bed can help reduce anxiety and improve your sleep.
4. More meaningful relationships
Ever feel annoyed how friends or family think they have a great relationship with you because they like your posts? Well, social media gives us the allusion of deeper connections. Plus, when we are glued to it, we can miss out on building and strengthening those right in front of eyes.
Taking time away from our phone allows us to focus on our loved ones and really connect with them rather than liking posts, we actually know what’s happening in their lives.
Now that you know the benefits, how can you ensure that switching off will be a success?
How to ensure a successful digital detox
– Make sure you log out of your computer, laptop, or tablet if you’re doing a social media detox
– Let family and friends know about it so they can support you or know you’ll be uncontactable during that time
– Create tech free zones in your home environment like your bedroom or at the dining table
– Turn off or mute notifications on your phone or computer
– Keep track of how you’re feeling each day of the detox and see the progress in order to stay motivated as well as committed to its course
– Plan some activities that you can do to stay busy and to take you mind away from it
If you loved this blog, then you may want to check this one out: How Mindful Mums can help you in the early stages of motherhood