What is a Digital Detox? Plus Digital Detox Challenges & Tips

In today’s world of smartphones, the Internet, and social media, screens are constantly at our fingertips. News and notifications compete for our attention. And while some of this can be helpful, too much can leave us feeling overstimulated and exhausted. Before long, we may find ourselves losing time, money, and authentic connection with the people and places around us, all while living vicariously through strangers.

Could it be time for a digital detox? The Cambridge Dictionary defines toxic as “poisonous” or “causing you a lot of harm and unhappiness over a long period of time.” And poisonous itself means “able to cause illness or death.” In the moment, we often don’t think of our technology as capable of such harm. But when we consider the overwhelm and anxiety it often leads to, the idea begins to make sense.

Digital Detox Meaning: What is a Digital Detox?

A digital detox, then, is an attempt to minimize screen overuse. It’s an intentional pulling away from excessive screen time by setting tangible boundaries. It’s a rejection of the “fear of missing out” to find contentment in your own life and the present moment.

Each person’s digital detox might look a little different. We’ll talk more about how to do a digital detox below, but it could mean cutting out screens in the morning, after work, or for a few days to a few weeks at a time.

Though written thousands of years ago, the famous words of Socrates ring especially true for our world today: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” In a culture more saturated with distraction and discontentment than ever, it's all the more important that we put in effort to reclaim control of our thoughts, time, emotions, and happiness. By examining our lives and making changes when necessary, we can play an active role in them—rather than simply zoning out on a screen while they pass us by.

Screen overuse affects us more than we realize. A digital detox can be just the medicine we need. Like a breath of fresh air, it helps bring us true fulfillment in our own lives—not anyone else’s.

How do you know if you need a digital detox?

One question you may be asking is, “Do I really need a digital detox, or does it just sound like a nice idea for others?” The truth is that we may not be able to imagine the benefits until we actually try it. Similar to starting a journey for our physical health, we may simply need to start in order to see results.

That said, here are a few diagnostic questions to figure out whether a digital detox could benefit you. Consider the time you spend on screens outside of working, and ask yourself:

What does your screen time look like? Many smartphones have a built-in screen time feature to track this. If yours does not, estimate how much time you spend on screens each day outside of work. Now consider how much you would ideally spend. Do these match up, or is the amount of time you actually spend significantly higher than your ideal?
What do you do on your devices outside of working? How much of it serves a purpose? If you largely use your devices to video call family members, learn more about a topic of interest, or build a small business around a hobby, your screen time can be valuable. But if you’re watching videos or scrolling mindlessly to fill any moment of boredom, consider that a digital detox could help you become more productive and feel more fulfilled.
What are your emotions like when you use your devices? How do you feel when you finally turn them off at the end of the day? Do you feel content with the way you’ve spent your time, or somewhat guilty that you may have wasted it? If you regularly get the sense that you’ve wasted time, a digital detox could be for you.
How much of the content you consumed yesterday can you remember? What about the past week? The past month? This can be helpful to ask yourself especially with regards to “doomscrolling,” or scrolling endlessly through content. How much of it do you remember long-term or learn from? How much more of it do you instantly forget? Screens often lead to losing valuable time we’ll never get back.

If you’ve read through this list of questions and feel like you’re ready for a change, a digital detox is a great way to start.

Digital Detox Benefits

A digital detox is known to improve your mental, emotional, and physical health. Here’s how:

Digital Detox Benefits for Mental & Emotional Health:

A digital detox can improve your mental and emotional health by reducing worry, anxiety and symptoms of depression. Constant distractions and social media comparison are a recipe for stress that isn’t yours to carry, low self-image, and heavy discontentment. And endless scrolling has led to the term “brain rot,” which was even named the Oxford Word of the Year for 2024. By stepping away from your devices, you can “uninvite” these sources of anxiety and wasted time from your life. (Picture your life as your home, and these things are unwelcome intruders.) In the process, you’ll increase your focus, productivity, and self-esteem, and you’ll have more energy to pour into others. Your self-awareness and relationships will improve from the time you now have to invest in them, and you’ll regain a sense of calm and control over your life.

Digital Detox Benefits for Physical Health:

A digital detox can lead to an improved quality of sleep, affecting every other area of your life. Screens emit blue light, which signals to your brain, even at night, that it’s time to be awake and alert. They can also cause your mind to spiral around the same stressful topics that are outside of your control, preventing you from falling asleep. By putting your devices away, you’re telling yourself it’s time to rest—and signaling to yourself that you are safe and at peace. Improved sleep leads to more energy to work out and work hard at your tasks throughout the day. You’ll also have more time to focus on these beneficial activities now that you’ve cut out scrolling.

7 Tips for a Digital Detox

Here are 7 tips to start your digital detox:

Assess your current situation. Pause, step back and ask yourself: What do you want your life to look like? Is it full of anxiety you’ve gotten so used to you don’t even notice it anymore, and do you really want it to be? How much of this anxiety can you offload through a digital detox? Tune in to why you’re using your screen. Is it improving your life or pulling at its threads?
Schedule your screen-free times. We have a few suggestions for how to schedule these below, but the important part is that you’re intentional with setting definitive boundaries. We’d encourage you to write your schedule down so you have a physical reminder and accountability.
Set physical limits between yourself and your screen. Out of sight, out of mind. If you set a physical distance between yourself and your phone or other device, it’s a lot harder simply to reach for it out of habit. Putting it in another room is the most helpful way to do this, because it takes more effort to access. It’s no longer a quick, mindless fix for your boredom. Consider designating certain rooms in your house as a “tech-free zone,” such as your bedroom or the dining room. Place your phone in a drawer for another layer of distance.
Turn off notifications or turn on Do Not Disturb. Disable non-essential notifications to reduce interruptions and the urge to constantly check your devices. Many phones offer the ability to schedule and turn on Do Not Disturb, or “focus mode.” This lets others know you’re taking some time away, not ignoring them. You can always choose certain people, such as your family, who you still want to receive notifications from when they contact you.
Plan ahead how you’re going to use your time away from your screen. We have some suggestions below, but make it a point to schedule and engage in non-digital activities that bring you happiness.
Be realistic. It’s better to aim for a doable length of detox that you can stick to rather than an impractical goal you’ll give up on quickly. This way you’ll be more likely to complete it, even if imperfectly at times. You’ll maximize the benefits and feel better about yourself for accomplishing it in the long run.
Re-evaluate as needed. A digital detox doesn't have to be a one-time event or done perfectly the first time you try. If you slip back into old habits, simply start another break when you need to.

How to Do a Digital Detox

When starting your digital detox, consider your goals. Your goals should guide the length and intensity of your digital detox. If you want to break a strong habit, a longer detox—or longer time blocks of one—may be necessary. If you just want to reset for a while, a shorter detox can work.

Many people take a social-media specific detox, where they can still access productivity and messaging apps. Others choose to detox only at certain times of the day, such as the morning or evening, while exercising, or during meal times. You can turn your phone completely off during these times or just disable notifications, delete distracting apps, or turn on Do Not Disturb.

Shorter, more frequent options:

A few hours a week: Some people may start to notice benefits from a detox of just a few hours each week. Try this length out for an easy trial run, especially if you’re not used to taking breaks. If even a few hours is difficult, that’s not your sign to give up—it’s actually a sign to keep going and probably increase your detox a bit, slowly but surely.
A day each week: Even a single day off each week can make an important difference and help improve your life balance.
A weekend: Regularly completing a weekend detox, even twice a month, is a great way to start without conflicting with work commitments. You can even work your way up to every weekend for a while if you desire.

A longer detox could look like:

One week: This is a popular starting point to evaluate your relationship with your devices and establish new habits.
Two weeks: A two-week detox can improve social media addiction, sleep, and overall wellbeing.
One month: Consider a 30-day detox if your digital habits are very entrenched or damaging your emotional health. This provides adequate time to work towards new routines, while offering room for grace if you happen to slip up.

Does a Journal Help with Digital Detox?

Yes! There are a variety of ways you can use journaling to get back to analog and enjoyment of life outside of our screens. Many of the suggestions in our digital detox challenges below involve a journal.

Digital Detox Challenges

Now that you’ve unplugged, how are you going to fill your time? Planning ahead will help you stick to your commitments and avoid restlessness. Here are 8 digital detox “challenges” you can do instead of scrolling.

Talk with loved ones. Have meaningful conversations with your family or roommates. You can even turn it into a weekly game: place slips of paper with thoughtful (or just entertaining!) questions in a bowl, and have each person take one out and answer it. Ask about each person’s favorite books, movies, memories, cuisine, and the best thing that happened to them today. What did you learn about each person and their personality? Journal your conversations to stay extra present and remember important things about your loved ones.
Read a book. Take up that new book you’ve been wanting to read! Set a goal to read a new book every few weeks or month. Create a book review journal to record your thoughts and review each one.
Go for a walk. Go for walks around your neighborhood or even try a new trail. Stop at a bench or park and keep a nature study journal to record what you see—the trees, the leaves, even the squirrels and insects. Start seeing those things in life that we take for granted or neglect to notice to spark your interest.
Schedule your life through bullet journaling. Bullet journaling is a helpful way to get organized. This blog post has 10 easy tips for how to start bullet journaling. Create schedules, organize important tasks, and track new habits you can focus on now that you’ve cut out wasted time on your devices.
Take up an art form. Creativity isn’t reserved just for people who are “natural” artists—it’s a beneficial hobby for anyone. Try your hand at artwork: sketching, watercoloring, oil pastels, etc. Our Creator’s Sketchbooks have heavier 150 gsm pages for multiple media and a loop for your pens or brushes. Or our Refillable Journals with blank pages are perfect for daily practice.
Reflect or pray in a prayer journal. Cutting out distractions means you have more time for prayer or self-reflection. Start a journal to track your thoughts. See this blog post for how to start. Or try a gratitude journal to record what you’re thankful for each day and to uplift your mood on more difficult ones.
Start a new exercise routine and record it. Alongside your digital detox, exercise is an essential way to improve your physical, mental, and emotional health. Track what you do for exercise each day. Our Pocket notebooks are easy to bring on the go. Record what you do in the gym or how far you walk or run, plus any PR’s you hit.
Write a letter to a loved one. A digital detox is the perfect time to start some snail mail. Write letters to your friends and family members just to say hello and let them know you’re thinking of them. Thank them for the support they’ve shown you throughout your life. Consider investing in a nice set of stationery as a thoughtful touch.

The German painter Hans Hofmann once said, “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak." That’s what a digital detox is all about: cutting out distractions so that things that truly matter can come to the surface. We hope this blog post has encouraged you to stay present, stay grateful, and invest in the life around you.

Need a journal to kick off your digital detox? As always, we’ve got what you need HERE.