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Beauty & Health

10 Ways To Do A Digital Detox And Beat Burnout

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Wellness

10 Ways To Do A Digital Detox And Beat Burnout

May 20, 2019

You’ve gone on diets and sworn off alcohol and caffeine for your health, but have you ever considered taking a break from technology? Maybe it’s time you did.

Photo: 123RF

Check off all the things that apply to you:
(1) You spend your workday in front of a computer screen.
(2) You consult your phone multiple times an hour from the moment you wake up till your heard hits the pillow at night.
(3) You spend a fair chunk of your leisure time watching TV or streaming content on your tablet.

If any or all of these apply to you, then you are at risk of digital burnout – and your tech habits could be making you sick.

In fact, we spend more time in front of screens than we do sleeping, and even when we go to bed, we take our mobile devices with us. Collectively, this behaviour not only ruins your posture and gives you “tech neck”, it can impair your ability to concentrate, stress out your nervous system, suppress hormone production, damage your vision, harm your brain, reduce your fitness levels and wreak havoc on your sleep cycle.

All this increases your risk for insomnia, anxiety, depression and possibly even heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

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READ MORE:
6 Signs You’re In Desperate Need of A Digital Detox
15 Small But Important Self-Care Tips To Prevent You From Burning Out This Year
Easy Ways To Beat Fatigue And Stress When You Feel Overwhelmed

As technology use becomes ever more ubiquitous and our smartphones accompany us everywhere we go – demanding our attention whenever we receive an email, text, tweet or status update from various friends – studies are showing just how toxic all the constant distraction and screen exposure can be.

Try The 5:2 Digital Detox

The idea is to give yourself a complete break from screens of any kind for two days a week. The results will surprise you, says Jo Formosa, an established Ayurvedic practitioner who devised this detox.

“You feel calmer and at peace,” she says. “It allows your nervous system to slow down and relax. And it encourages you to be in the moment, giving you a lot more time and opportunity for thought and reflection.”

Here are 10 tips for kickstarting your 5:2 digital detox and sticking with it:

https://www.womensweekly.com.sg/gallery/beauty-and-health/wellness/detox-devices-prevent-digital-burnout/
10 Ways To Do A Digital Detox And Beat Burnout
1. Decide on your "detox" days.
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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.

2. Plan ahead.
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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.

3. Inform your "ecosystem".
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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.

4. Use your phone as a phone only.
image

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

5. Make plans to spend time with loved ones.
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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.

 

6. Set up an email auto-response.
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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.

7. Get plenty of sleep.
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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.

8. Divert your calls.
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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.

9. Prune your social media "garden".
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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.

10. If you fall off the wagon, jump back on.
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Whatever you do, don’t give up. Even spending just a half-day tech free is better than nothing; you are still making progress.

READ MORE:
23 Ways To Declutter Your Home And Destress Your Life At Once
5 Simple Rituals That Will Protect Your Mental Health, According To A Psychologist
Kim Yoo Jung And 8 Other Celebrities Talk About How They Deal With Stress

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

  • TAGS:
  • burnout
  • destress
  • Detox
  • digital detox
  • Health
  • stress
  • wellbeing
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