Courses

Digital Detox

Step One

Inventory

Keep a journal for a few days and track how much time you're spending on apps, as well as how you feel after you use them. You can also retroactively do this through your screen time app on your phone that checks how often you've used each app, unless you've disabled that function cuz you don't want to know, ya cheeky bugger. Don’t forget to include websites and tech that are unique to you.

Step Two

Essentials

Make a list of any essentials. If you're not doing this detox on a vacation what apps will you have to keep using for work? I recommend using your desktop, laptop or an old phone reserved only for these work functions. Set time limits for your tasks as well.

Step Three

Bumper Rails (apply to apps you must use for work)

Do you have time windows that you receive texts and emails? Or do you let notifications flood in at all hours of the day? What might it feel like to have a designated hour or two where you check your texts and emails and keep up with friends and family? 

Turn off all notifications (except your calendar) between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. Tell your loved ones to call if there's an emergency which they will do anyway. You can even have a message that automatically sends that explains your response hours. 

Put one or two designated times of the day to check and reply to msgs I do this at 1p.m an 4p.m. This is why you left calendar notifications on.

Use your inventory list to itemize each app that you use and ask yourself; if this app was designed specifically for my life how would it be different? One example would be Instagram for me wouldn't have a msg feature or at least would let me opt in or out of using it.

Now use your search engine to look up what apps exist that fill these requirements. Third-party apps and browser extensions work great for hacking an existing app into working for you. For example, I use a feed blocker in Chrome so when I hop on YouTube I have to search something specific or check out who I am subscribed to, which for me is kept to a maximum of 15 accounts. If you don’t have Chrome just search for extensions for your specific browser. Here is a website blocker you can try too.

Step Four

What are you going to do instead?

 When I give up chips I know that if I don't allow myself corn chips and salsa on the weekends I will get to a breaking point where I find myself driving at 11:00 p.m. to any gas station to get whatever salty goodness I can find. So brainstorm, what are you going to do instead? When you just need to check something real quick, you could, read a book, or a Blog that is not on your blocked list, play guitar, or make pasta from scratch, you are going to have time to do all those things you wish you had time to do. So golf, go for a nightly walk with your partner. 

Set a five-minute timer and write some things you have said you would love to do if only you had the time, force yourself to keep writing for the whole time. You don’t actually have to do everything you write down, you're a frickin adult. This is for fun. You might surprise yourself with your answers. Include friends you want to involve in your activities

Step Five

Find a Friend to Join You

A warning; some people will actively try to get you to give up on this. This course is really about setting new boundaries. Boundaries that will affect some people in your life who are used to you being constantly available. It might be a coworker who spams your inbox even though you have an auto-response delineating your reply time. Hang in there! You do not want people in your life who don’t respect your boundaries, even if it is “weird” that you don’t reply to office emails after 7 p.m. 

Be prepared to lose weight, dead weight I mean. In the form of friends who are not going to exit the group chat in whatever app to send you a text phone call to stay in touch.

This is why finding a friend who wants to try this with you, or at least enlisting your mum or friendly neighbour to track your progress is so important. You’re a social animal, you can’t do much alone, and that's cool. Once you find your grove this will all feel so natural and you’ll wonder how you ever used basic stock products not custom-tailored for you! In the beginning, though you are swimming against the current a buddy system is helpful.

Step Six

Detox 

Push the red button and hold on you might get a little squirrelly for the first while. Make this abstinence period what you can manage. Start with only one day if you must, then next week try two days until you are at a week-long detox. I promise it gets better, the key is to keep moving. If Temptation becomes too much and you don't find a buddy, find one person who will go on a walk with you once a day and occupy your dopamine-searching brain. Human contact will take the edge off a lot. Not to mention hanging with a real human will fill a hole inside that spending too much time on screens created.

You can do this good luck! 

Step Seven

Re-Integration 

Go back and look at your apps list. I’ll wager that there are some technologies on that list that you never return to. If there are some you want to try to reintegrate, repeat Step Three for each app, whether for work or fun, as you add them back in. Then use a fresh app tracker to watch how using whatever you are back on feels. You might notice you are now quicker to notice if a certain app or interface is draining you. Great! The detox worked, and your senses and awareness were heightened, Now all you have to do is listen.

Step Eight

A Private Session (Optional Obvi)

If you found this helpful and want to delve even deeper into what I call stackable practices. Or if you are finding you need some extra accountability I am available for one-on-one coaching.

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