In today’s digital age, technology plays such a significant role in our lives. From constantly checking our work emails to endless hours spent scrolling through our Instagram feeds, it’s easy to get distracted! Hence, the only fad diet you should really consider going on is the digital detox diet. Let’s get started by taking a moment to evaluate and analyze our own social media habits by participating in a self-assessment:

  1. On average, how much time do you spend on your screen? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? *For iPhone and Android users, this can be located under Settings > Screen Time.
  2. Evaluate and analyze your screen time report. Write down your daily, weekly, and monthly screen time reports or view them in close detail on your smartphone.
  3. Which platforms do you spend the most time on? Snapchat? Instagram? Facebook? Why?
  4. How can you cut back? Consider setting app limits or scheduling “down time” if you lack self-control or if you’re having serious trouble staying off certain social media platforms.
  5. Apart from work purposes, how can you allocate the screen time spent on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis towards something more productive or a goal that you’ve been setting aside instead?

Keeping your answers in mind, how does scrolling through your social media feeds really make you feel? Better? Worse? Indifferent? During what times of the day or days of the week do you find yourself utilizing certain social media platforms more than others? Write these answers down in a journal or notepad you can refer back to at a later time.

Aside from using social media for work-related reasons, what are some primary usages you have for it? Is it out of boredom, for entertainment, or to receive information? Does it give you a sense of satisfaction and/or validation when you receive likes, views, comments, or shares? It can be a combination of the following or none of the above.

While these answers will vary for each individual, one proposition that we can agree upon is: we all need to take a break from social media from time to time. Especially if social media disturbs your peace of mind, sometimes we need to disconnect with the outside world in order to reconnect with our internal world and ourselves. The more time we spend on our social media, the less time we are fully present and engaged in the current moment. Think about that for a second.

Do you want some of the most important and precious moments of your life to be remembered through a camera lens rather than soaking it all in? Perhaps, make this a part of your “self-care” routine. Start small. Once a week or once a month (depending on what is feasible for you), turn off your notifications (work included!) and see how much of a difference it makes. Out of the countless detox diets out there, a digital detox diet should be at the top of your list. Let your road to the digital detox diet begin NOW!