Decide which days you are going to do your digital detox and mark them on a calendar. Choose days that you expect to be less challenging for you. You don’t have to do two entire days or even two days in a row – try four half-days, or even just one day at first. Be smart about it so you’re not setting yourself up for failure.

Prepare yourself for how it will feel to be without the devices you’ve come to rely on for so many things, like appointment reminders and weather checks. Also map out any travel routes (no Google maps!) and take care of all your online banking and bill-paying in advance.

That means family, friends and co-workers. Advise them ahead of time that you’ll be offline on your chosen days so they don’t get worried. Write a post on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, too, so your whole social sphere knows you’re taking a break from technology, and that they should not expect to hear back from you until your detox time is up.

Turn off all notifications, including texts, apps and email. Don’t use your phone as a clock – get an alarm clock and start wearing a watch again (but not a smartwatch). And if you have kids, ask them not to text you during your time-out unless it’s an emergency. This will not only give you a break from interruptions, it will teach your children to solve their problems themselves.

READ MORE: Is Your Child Getting Too Much Screen Time During The Hols? Here Are 10 Tech Timeout Ideas

Plan some genuine ‘face time’ with friends and family. Try one of these fun activities you can do in Singapore, head outdoors for a hike, a bike ride or a picnic. Ask those around you to put their phones away, too, to make it like a game. You might even inspire them to try a tech detox, and maybe on the same days, so you can all have some downtime.

Treat your personal email like your work email. This will help alleviate any anxiety you have about being able to switch off – you have put all the systems into place so that you are in control, not your devices.

Try to be in bed by 10pm, or at least get eight hours’ worth of sleep on the two “fasting” days. This will help your system to recharge.

People will leave a voicemail if their call is about an urgent matter. So turn off your phone and if you need to, you can check your messages once during the day.

How many apps do you have on your phone? More importantly, how many of these apps do you actually use and need? It’s time to delete applications that you no longer use. But don’t stop there, you can also leave online groups that you don’t engage in, unfollow people and websites that you never read, unsubscribe from mailing lists and such.

Whatever you do, don’t give up. Even spending just a half-day tech free is better than nothing; you are still making progress.

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Text: www.bauersyndication.com.au / Additional reporting: Elizabeth Liew