Digital Detox: Disconnect To Connect

We live continuously connected, be it to the mobile phone, the computer or the tablet. The digital world has become a fundamental part of our daily routine. In fact, the mobile is the first and last thing we use every day. Now, do we really realize the time we spend immersed in this digital universe? Perhaps, if we were aware of it, we would put in place some measures to avoid it, such as a withdrawal or digital detox.

What would happen if we decreased the time we spend on our social networks? It may be that for some people just thinking about it worries them or makes them too nervous, the point is that until not long ago they did not even exist.

We are not saying that we must be radical and reject all kinds of contact with the digital world, but that we have to be responsible in terms of its use, do it in moderation and thus avoid it taking over us.

It is about freeing ourselves from this growing need to be permanently connected and thus avoid technological dependence. To do this, we can start with a digital detox, with that disconnecting from technology to connect with reality, that is, with ourselves and with others. Let’s go deeper.

What is a digital detox?

A digital detox or digital detox consists of taking a break from the digital world. It is about disconnecting from social networks, the Internet and new technologies, breaking that digital link that we have created and that increasingly consumes a greater part of our time, to deal with other matters, such as relating, wondering how we are or getting along Get out that to-do list that keeps getting bigger and bigger.

The word detox comes from English and its translation would be: detoxification. It is about extracting what is toxic in an organism, in this case the digital world. Because although sometimes it is very helpful or entertaining, it also has negative consequences.

Now, it is not about putting an end to our relationship with the digital world, but about being aware of the use we make of it, the time we spend and what we put aside because we are connected.

Keys to digital detox

Thinking about detoxifying from the digital world sounds easy, but it is not so easy. We have become used to it being part of our daily routine. Therefore, we need a lot of perseverance and dedication. The following keys will help us to achieve it:

• Establish a digital detox moment. It consists of setting a schedule for detoxification. That will depend on each one. It could be on weekends, at a certain time each day… The important thing is to start something, even if only for a few minutes. In this way, we will establish a habit.

• Go step by step. Rushing has never been too good – no detoxing happens overnight. It is important to build with patience and step by step the ladder that will lead us to our well-being.
• Delve into ourselves. Knowing ourselves, inquiring into our interests or how we feel will help us understand that need to be continuously connected. What do we avoid? what do we need? How do we get along with loneliness? The most important thing is to be aware that we could live without the digital world …
• Goodbye to notifications! Notifications often become our great ordeal. One after another they prevent us from concentrating and even interrupt our conversations with others. Having them active all the time and with the sound activated can generate anxiety and a greater need to stay in the networks.

• Find alternative plans. How about going to have coffee with a friend, read a good book or play sports? Finding plans and activities that we like to occupy our free time is a good idea.
• Be more empathetic. Putting ourselves in the place of others is essential. If when we meet our friends or family we are all the time behind our phones, computers and tablets , we are not respecting them.

On the other hand, it would also be a good idea to avoid leaving the mobile by our side when we go to sleep. In this way, we would not get the emotion resulting from exploring the digital world at that moment and the quality of our sleep would improve.

However, there are people who not only need a digital breath, but also professional help. This is because they are highly dependent on that digital universe and are not able to disconnect.

Benefits of digital detox

There are numerous benefits to performing a digital detox, some of the most important are as follows:

• Stress release.
• More time for yourself.
• Better distribution of time.
• Increased empathy.
• More time to establish relationships with others and improve bonds with them.
• More authentic relationships.
• More free time.
• Facilitate to be more calm and relaxed.
• Ease of practicing self-knowledge.

Digital detoxification fosters better relationships with the world, others, and ourselves. It enables us to make other types of plans and establish priorities, instead of spending time viewing images or videos. A digital detox is an opportunity to connect with reality and maximize our free time.