Many of us need a digital detox weekend, and we don’t even know it. I developed the idea of a digital detox weekend because so many of us are suffering unnecessarily due to what we are consuming, myself included.
Keep reading to learn more about my definition of a digital detox and the 3 step process to creating a digital detox weekend that will boost your self care and move you closer to achieving your goals.
While a digital detox can mean different things to different people, I consider it to be when you unplug from social media, email, your computer, and your phone to the degree that’s realistic for your life. These digital distractions are regularly sending tons of messages, some that we don’t need to see or hear.
Some messages are great, and they empower, encourage, and inform you, while others can be detrimental to your emotional health, depending on where you on your own journey.
If you’re ready to try a digital detox weekend, here are 3 simple steps you can take.
First, take a look at the digital tools you use that are not contributing to your self-care.
So, for me, I tend to check my email for no reason, almost compulsively just because I think something is coming. Checking it every moment doesn’t make my messages arrive any faster, does it? No.
If that isn’t your issue, then think about what that area is. Is it social media? Which platform is causing you the most problems in your life? Is it Instagram because of the pictures? Is it Twitter because there might be a new trending topic that everyone is discussing? Is it Facebook where your friends and family are sharing and oversharing?
Once you pinpoint your problem area, you want to put a limit on how much you consume that type of media. Email is part of my work, but I don’t have to check it all the time, every day. So in my case, I can create a schedule for when I check my emails. Maybe it’s at 8 am, 12 pm and 5 pm.
In your case, do you think that being on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook for no more than 20 minutes a day is sufficient so you can reduce how much time you’re devoting to the platform?
Set a realistic time frame for the platforms of your choice and stick to it during your digital detox weekend.
The third step is to find alternatives. Sometimes we forget, but there is life outside of the digital world. There is an actual world, there are real stores, there are actual people, there are actual friends that need you and miss you.
Sometimes being in the digital world, you may think that you are connected and you are to a degree. I’ve met some really great people via the internet. However, what has maintained and deepened the connections has always been real-life interactions, and nothing can replace that. Think about what you want to replace your digital time with. Do you want to replace it with people, a hobby, or a project you’ve yet to complete? All of those things are going to help you move closer to a goal that you have and to be the person you really want to become.
If you have yet to
Those are things you can be doing rather than being online and engaging with these various forms of media that you think are giving something to you. And I guess they do. They give you a sense of distraction and entertainment for a short period, but in the long run, they often take more than they provide.
If financial wellness is one of the goals that you want to focus on over your digital detox weekend, I invite you to get your copy of The Happy Finances Challenge or heal your relationship with money.
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