Digital Detox - What All Should You Know

With our entire lives getting digitized from the time we wake up to the time we doze off without knowing when computers and screens have completely engulfed our lives. This has both severe physical and emotional effects, some of which can be very detrimental.

1. There are people who experience screen fatigue as they are constantly looking at their monitors.
2. With a phone in the hand which has to be constantly scrolled for checking what friends are up to, the neck is taking a significant burden.
3. At the emotional level, the impression that everyone is out having fun, except you, there is a concept called fear of missing out (FOMO) which can lead to depression.
4. People are also so disconnected from real things that they tend to believe that what they see on their screens is actually real (which is not true always).

The good thing is that people are realizing the harmful effects and want to detox from their gadgets. To counter FOMO, there is a new counter term called JOMO (joy of missing out). There are service providers who provide holiday packages where you are cut off from technology. Digital detox is a fad that is catching up, and some of the popular ways to do it are listed below.

1. Diagnose first. Make a list of all the apps you use on your phone and computer and see how much time you spend on each one. You would be amazed and would not believe that you actually spend so much time on these apps. That is the first eye-opener for going ahead with a digital detox.
2. Give yourself a digital time. For every hour, you could allot 10 minutes to check your smartphone or computer, especially social media.
3. Give it a break. Tell yourself that your gadgets are off limits for some time and during some activities. This could be your meal time (start with one, and you can then extend it across all meals). Exercise time is another time that you could be completely without gadgets. Sleep is extremely critical. Put your screens off at least 15 minutes before you sleep and notice the difference in the quality of your sleep.
4. When working, eat outside and not at your desk. You can avoid staring at the computer and get some exercise and fresh air by doing so.
5. No-gadget holiday. Go on a holiday without any gadgets and see how you can really connect with people and with nature.
6. Watch your updates. It is not necessary to tell everybody what you are up to. You will see it does not matter to many on Facebook, except to yourself.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!