My digital detox journey

I have heard about a digital detox many times before. For a long time I never put much thought into it. Even when I got a 30-day digital detox in a subscription box. There are 30 cards, and you do one a day for 30 days. Not only about social media, but it also has activities that do not require any technology, such as doing a recipe from an actual cookbook. When I first got them I put them aside thinking, oh that's nice, and didn't think much about it after that. When we went into the second lockdown it was winter, and so it was very cold where I am. Being stuck at home all the time, and really unable to go anywhere, well it can get fairly boring. I was finding myself filling my days just endlessly scrolling on social media, wasting hours and days. I found that I wasn't being present. Everything I did I always had my phone open. I realized that I needed a change when I would put my phone down and leave the room. Then my daughter would always bring my phone to me, like I had to have my phone on me.

I just realized that I needed to unplug a little. You don't need to see everything that people are posting as soon as they post it. If you don't check it for a day, here's a secret it will still be there. I really wanted to be more productive and present in my life. So I pulled out the cards that I had forgotten about, determined to do better.

You pull the card for that day in the morning. The first card was to not use social media until after 9pm. It was interesting being so aware of it. I would pick up my phone to scroll through something meaningless and have to stop myself. I wasn't doing it for a reason, I was only doing it out of habit and boredom. It made me force myself to find something else to do. The result I found was that I got more done every day. You would be surprised what you get accomplished when you aren't wasting your time on things that don't matter. It also made me more present when I was with my daughter. It's not about how much time you spend with them, it really is about the quality of the time that you spend. You could spend all day with people, but if you are just on your phone the whole time that you are with them then it doesn't mean as much.

I think we have gotten too dependent on technology. And maybe we should all go back to how things used to be. The times when you might stay home and do a board game with your family. Or when kids would be running outside all day instead of just staring at a screen or playing video games all day. Yes technology can be a great thing and has brought ways that our lives might be better because of it. Such as being able to work from home so easily for so many people. However, there are downsides to it as well. Sometimes you need to take a step back and really evaluate your life, and what is really important to you. If you spend hours on your phone, is it really bringing joy into your life. At the end of the day, do you want to be remembered as the one who always had her phone on her. Or do you want your kids to remember the things that you really did with them. Really the choice is yours.

For me, the 30 days really reset myself so that I could really change my life in a real way. I am now more aware when I am with my daughter. I limit how many times a day that I go online for things like social media. It will be there when you get back to it. It won't be a big deal for you to take a little break, and really clear your mind. If you haven't done it, and are finding yourself needing a little reset, then try it. Have days that you don't go on social media, days when you have little task to do, such as do a board game with your family. You will be surprised how much better that you feel when you take a little break. The key thing to me is that you need to do it and don't post about it. When you take a social media break, but you post that you are doing it, then I think it changes the intention a little bit. The key is to do it and not tell anyone that you are doing it. Do it for yourself and for your family so that you can be more present in your life. You don't need to post every little thing that you do with your time, and if you don't comment on something for a few hours it will still be there later for you to do it.

Let's all reevaluate our lives and focus on what really matters. Focus on the people we love and the things that really bring us joy, happiness and health. You are worth it, as you are great just the way that you are. You are a unique person worth all the happiness that life can bring.

-T