Why you need a digital detox

If you’re one of the third of Brits who think technology is taking over their lives, here’s why you need a digital detox to stay connected to the real world.

I’m the first person to admit that I’m addicted to technology. Constantly checking emails, Facebook messages and tweets – it’s never-ending. But I’ve learnt a couple of things during my time away from technology. Wi-Fi is isn’t always accessible in a field and it is here I first went through digital withdrawal. Saying goodbye to my precious smartphone, I initially felt lost and disconnected. But away from constant digital distractions I actually began to connect with the things that really matter and with the world around me.

And I’m not alone. According to research by Nokia, the average person checks their phone every six and a half minutes; and 62 per cent of adults in Britain resent how much time they spend using their phones, which is hardly surprising given that four million Britons spend half their waking lives on them. Here are some of the reasons given by the two-thirds of people who said they “hated” how much time they spend using their mobile:

• It’s taking over my life – 36%
• It prevents me switching off from work – 14%
• It stops me spending time with my family and friends – 9%Sound familiar? Despite popular belief that constantly refreshing your emails waiting for some big news to happen or sharing results of the latest online quiz you’ve taken is productive, let’s face it, it’s just not. In her book Unplugged: How to Live Mindfully in a Digital World, Orianna Fielding, founder of The Digital Detox Company, explores the age of connectivity and being switched on 24/7. “We are spending increasing amounts of time online,” she says. “Our time, rather than being spent productively, is being ambushed by the checking, responding to and managing of both personal and professional emails, texts and social updates, leaving very little time for actual living.” On one hand, “technology as a tool is an extraordinary expansive enabler”, says Orianna. “However when we are using it to feel busy, needed, in demand, popular and connected, it keeps us living in digital white noise and prevents us from being with ourselves.”

Toll on our health

“Digital dependency negatively impacts our mental, physical and emotional wellbeing,” explains Orianna. “Being ‘on’ 24/7 means we are not present in our daily life and that we are prioritising our iLife over our real life. It fragments our attention. Rather than view this as a negative, it makes us feel productive and efficient. In reality, though, multitasking actually makes us less productive and has been shown to diminish our ability to concentrate on one thing at a time.”It also has serious physical implications. “Sitting has been described as the new smoking as it can, according to several studies reviewed by The American Journal of Preventive Medicine, cause an extensive list of other potentially life-threatening diseases including cancer, diabetes and heart disease,” says Orianna. Researchers from the University of Connecticut have conducted a study that examines the links between those of us who own smartphones and spend more time online – sometimes during the night. They raise concerns that this negatively impacts our body clock and alters our hormone levels, potentially leading to both stress and depression.

Your social network

Chartered psychologist Dr Mark Griffiths comments on how our addiction to technology is affecting our relationships. “Technology enables people to work from anywhere. Not everyone can handle the extreme accessibility, and constant interruptions from work can irritate those that they are with. The work-family line can become blurred in an undesirable way,” he says.“Socially we need to learn ‘digital manners’,” says Orianna. “Being with someone and giving your smartphone more attention than the person you are with is both rude and disrespectful. It says that you are neither present nor interested in the person you are with. Yet we are now continuously surrounded by groups of people who are ‘together alone’, paying more attention to their digital devices than they do to the people they are with or the world around them.”We should really be asking ourselves, “Am I using technology or is technology using me? What’s really important in life, and what’s not?” Mark continues, “Our job is to take back control from technology and then enjoy the benefits that it can give us without feeling the stresses.” Because we are so used to using digital now we don’t always recognise that it can take over our lives (it took me travelling half way around the world to see that). But you don’t have to escape to far-away lands like me to get serious time off. Yes, digital detoxing can be a three-day retreat in the British Countryside, where participants trade smartphones for exercise, art and face-to-face conversation – fab! But you don’t have to go 100 per cent cold turkey to get results. Instead, try integrating a couple of changes into your everyday life. We believe that it’s all about getting the right balance.

6 steps to a digital detox

1. Ban your phone at certain times of the day

See if you can build in technology-free times into each day. “Take a daily break from gadgets to exercise, read or garden,” says Mark. “You will get a refreshed perspective. You have to have a balance in your life. It will make you a more contented person. By consciously restricting time with technology, the stress will begin to subside.”

2.Use technology to defeat technology

It sounds a little contradictory, but there are apps you can use to help curb the addiction. Try Phone Addict, an Android app that monitors the time you spend on a tablet or phone. It tracks historical use as well as maximum use on a particular day, showing you just how glued to your phone you are. Alternatively, try Moment: an iOS app that monitors how many times you pick up your iPhone or iPad each day. You can set a daily usage limit: anything from five minutes to six hours.

3. Turn off message alerts from social networks

“Limit email retrieval to a few times per day and turn off instant messaging system and alerts from social network sites,” says Mark.

4. Do lunch without your phone

Rich Pierson, co-founder of online meditation app Headspace says, “I make sure that I have periods in the day when I don’t have any technology on me. Going for a walk or to lunch without your phone can really help. Having lunch on your own without your phone might be scary at first, but is actually a really nice thing to do.”

5, Actually hang out with your friends. In person.

“Enjoy going out, meeting up and making sure that you put time and energy into making friendships and keeping friendships. With the rise in social media, we are getting cut off from spending time with friends and this is accounting for a large part of the rise in stress,” says Mark.

6. Try something new

Push your conscious mind into action by doing something you haven’t done before. It’ll certainly help quash any Facebook envy you might be feeling. It’s more satisfying to have your own life experiences in the world than read about others having their experiences – trust me!

“Although the world we live in has an indelible digital layer, we need to remember that everything in the world is not digital. In a way, digital detoxing is a form of going slow; stepping back and taking a pause. This will give our emotional inner life the chance to breathe and recharge, giving us the tools with which to re-evaluate our relationship with digital technology and find a more mindful and meaningful way to live,” says Orianna.

Orianna Fielding’s book Unplugged: How to Live Mindfully in a Digital World is available to buy from Amazon for £12. 

Follow Jessica Houtby on Twitter: @Jhoutby_