Digital Detox

How many of you feel like you are attached to your phones or other electronic devices? I began to notice a pattern with mine. I would get out of the bed in the mornings, go potty and brush my teeth. Then, as I stood at the dresser taking my morning meds I would be scrolling through my emails. I mean I was barely out of the bed and I had to look at my phone. One morning I was standing there and I thought “I have no life.” My quick response to that was “I’m being productive.” Am I though? Was I responding to those emails? Not always, I was scrolling through them and that was all. That was when I knew it was past time for a digital detox.

I thought back to the days when I was on vacation and realized that I don’t do that then. While on vacation I am busy traveling and doing other things. I work but I don’t have the need to constantly check my devices. In fact, I read more actual books (paperbacks and hardcovers) while on vacation. I wanted that feeling back. I am so productive when I do work during vacations and I think it is because I have so much other stuff that I am doing that the work doesn’t feel so much like work.

Lets face it my job is tied to electronic devices. I need them but I need a better relationship with them. SO I began to do a full scale digital detox for myself.

Get Control of My Inbox

I get so many emails. Many of them newsletters I have subscribed to because I wanted the freebie that was offered. Some way back when I first started blogging. Many I don’t really read anymore. So the first thing I did was unsubscribe to all of the emails that I don’t actually read anymore.

I did that with subscription boxes and stores that send fifty emails a day. It is crazy and I don’t need that many. So I cut them down to a manageable size. Now the only emails I get are from newsletters or blogs that I want to read. Those emails go straight into my Friday folder. I take the time on Fridays to sit and read them. That way I can enjoy them without feeling rushed and my inbox looks better. 

I also respond immediately to anything that needs to be responded to and then put everything else into a time folder (i.e. 12:00, 9:00, etc) and those are the times that I am “on” my email. I do NOT check my emails first thing any more. I take the time to enjoy my morning routine and wake up. I savor my mornings now.

Goodbye Push Notifications

I turned those buggers right off. If I don’t have them on I won’t feel the need to pick my phone up immediately to respond. I have set times on the day that I am on social media and will respond to notifications then. 

Unfollow and/or Mute

I used to follow people on social media that honestly made me feel so bad about myself. I would see their posts and think “Wow! What are you doing with your life? I mean just look at them.” I unfollowed anyone who made me feel that way about myself. I also muted a few people like my sister. I mean I would have unfollowed her but then there would be a whole phone call. The thing is she posts so much and I don’t care that much about some of her stuff. She posts every little detail of her day I swear. I don’t care how many times her man does something nice for her. It’s great but I don’t need a play-by-play of her day. 

Clear Out

I have a clear out of all my old contacts, notes, and pictures on all of my devices. It is something that I needed to do. It is also something that I put on my calendar to do every couple of months. The pictures are sent to my Amazon photos account if I am keeping them. While the notes are gone through and any I don’t need anymore, like the grocery list, are deleted. Same thing goes for the contacts. If we haven’t communicated in a while and there is a good chance we won’t in the future I deleted them. 

No Devices

Every weekend there are no devices for the most part. I read actual books that day and do other activities. The reason I say for the most part though is because I have to answer my phone. However I only do that for family and friends. No work and no social media. I spend those days out and about or just enjoying my time with the family, friends, and church. 

Doing a full scale digital detox has helped me in so many ways.  I feel more in control of things and not like I spend my life on electronic devices. It’s so funny because not so long ago we wouldn’t have dreamt that we would have all the devices we do have or that we would spend most of the day on them.