Ready For A Digital Detox? Focus On These 3 Things

Do you ever catch yourself obsessively checking your phone notifications?

Even without realizing it, we pick up our phones several times a minute. Sure, our phones can help keep us connected, but there’s no doubt that they come with some negatives. Phones can increase levels of anxiety [by comparing ourselves to others on social media, for example], disrupt sleep due to blue light emissions, and distract you from being fully present.

Because of these downsides, it can be helpful to take a break from technology—a “digital detox,” if you will. The break helps you reset and gain some perspective on how—and when—you use technology. 

TaskHuman coaches know it can be difficult to break away from technology—they’re human too! In fact, many of them regularly take breaks from their devices even when they’re a main source of employment.

Here are three things to focus on during a social media detox that can help reset your mind, especially when you first start out.

1. Focus On People

When we’re on our phones all of the time, we can lose connection with the real people in our lives. While social media can be a powerful tool in building community, focusing on friends and family IRL makes our connections with them stronger. 

When we’re on our devices a lot, we can actually forget how to interact with people. Putting our phones aside when people are with us is one way of showing we care. Only then are we able to listen more carefully, and in turn, gain true insight into their lives. They recognize that we are mentally present, enabling them to feel respected and cared for, and allowing our connection with them to grow.

Entrenador Anita Steele explica:

Quality over quantity is very applicable when it comes to spending time with family. We may be physically with them, or “talk” to them a lot, but if our attention is buried on our devices, we’re not really with them (mentally). Practicing a digital detox with family enables you to be more mentally present, and thus, the time you spend with them is true quality time.

Escuchar como entrenador Emilija Blagojevic explica:

Committing to a digital detox can help strengthen your connection across the board—with your loved ones, your hobbies and interests, eating more mindfully, etc.

2. Focus On Nature

There are a lot of amazing and beautiful things to see online, but none can compare to the experience of immersing yourself in real nature. Go to your local arboretum or on a walk around the block to notice the nature right in your own neighborhood and ignite your senses.

Entrenador Lyn Harding explica:

Noticing and experiencing nature can help ease your anxiety by creating the environment needed to “step outside yourself” and see things in a new light.

Taking regular breaks from technology and enjoying nature can also revitalize your energy. If you allow yourself to be inspired by nature, you can come back to your family or job feeling energized and refreshed. Who knows—you may feel so revitalized that you can find enough time to do other things that you love, like a hobby or sport!

Entrenador Jean Sheridan explica:

Using a digital detox to spend more time in nature can be mentally and physically rewarding—it slows and soothes the mind, giving space to new ideas and perspectives. In a digital detox, you can also focus more on yourself.

3. Focus On Yourself

Focusing on ourselves isn’t meant to promote self-centeredness. Instead, it should help you better understand what your thoughts and feelings are. During a digital detox, you’re given the time and space to really dig deeper into your brain and see what’s happening. Without the distraction of your devices, you can spend more time cultivating mental strength.

Escuchar al entrenador Regina De Los Reyes explicar:

Meditation and mindfulness are tools to help you learn to stay in the present instead of escaping to a digital world. Stepping away from digital media can also give you time to think about what you really want, so it’s particularly helpful when you’re struggling to find your purpose.

Technology is a powerful tool. We can use it to build businesses and connect with people who are physically far away from us—but it can have diminishing returns. As a reminder, spending too much time on our devices can make us anxious, negative, and separated from the people who are close to us. Our coaches’ suggestion? A digital detox! After all, it may be just what you need to help you maintain a healthy relationship with your technology.

If you want to take any of these ideas further, or explore any other mental wellness topics, reach out to a TaskHuman coach for a 1:1 live sesión de hoy.

Book A Session Today

Updated February 2025