Do you frequently feel the need to take a break from the devices and disconnect from the virtual world? Are you yearning for a Digital Detox even now during the Covid-19 lockdown? Well, Digital Detox is a common term used to describe a period of time when a person stays away from digital devices for his/her mental well being. Now, most of you will agree that staying away from devices is not easy. But, if you have tried this detox therapy then you can’t disagree with its benefits too.

Trust me guys, it is extremely beneficial! 

The simplest and easiest way to take a break from the digital world is to go offline for a certain period of time once or twice a day. But this may not be that helpful in taking away all your stress. One of the quickest ways to de-stress is to disconnect for the whole day (24 hrs). This will give your mood an instant boost.

Another popular way is taking Digital Detox Vacation to rejuvenate your mind, body and soul & come back recharged. You may want to check out our Travel Posts here!

But, things have changed now.

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Why Digital Detox is important even during this Covid-19 lockdown?

We are under lockdown due to Coronavirus pandemic and are forced to use digital devices for everything. Be it work, study, news, entertainment or social interaction!

And, no matter how much we crave for a break, we don’t want to miss anything that’s going on in the virtual world even if it’s taking a toll on our mental & emotional health.

Stages of Stress Build-up during Lockdown (my story)

I have realized that stress builds up over time, we can feel it but we keep ignoring it until we can’t take it anymore. This is my story of how stress took its toll on me. Only if I had realized the need for a digital detox sooner I wouldn’t have to go through all that mental & emotional agony.

Stage 1 of Stress build-up

We love travelling a lot and that is how we take constant breaks from digital life. But when Lockdown 1.0 (24 Mar) was announced in India for 21 days, we knew that it is the end of our upcoming travel plans. We accepted it since we had no other choice.

But deep down, it sowed the seeds of stress in me. As a result, I started spending most of my time with digital media, mindless scrolling on social media, reading everything related to the pandemic, binge-watching series on OTT media, constant checking phone for updates, etc., all that while doing other chores.

 

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A post shared by Neha Sharma (@growing_with_nemit) on Apr 1, 2020 at 8:25am PDT

Stage 2 of Stress build-up

My son, Nemit had to go to a formal school from April but now he is forced to attend school from home. This was completely new for all of us. When there were no online classes, we would do things at our own pace. But with online classes, we had to set a stricter routine for us. A routine which left no time for me! I was okay for a couple of weeks, trying to accept the #NewNormal that’s when Lockdown 2.0 (14 Apr) happened.

 

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A post shared by Neha Sharma (@growing_with_nemit) on Apr 7, 2020 at 5:59am PDT

Stage 3 of Stress build-up

Since I was not getting enough time for myself during the day, I started compromising losing my sleep. Now, I was spending more time online but not doing anything productive. I would open my notepad to write something but would keep staring at it. And, it was not the writer’s block!

I knew stress was at its peak now, I wanted to go offline but I was afraid of disconnecting. I wanted to stay updated on the current topics, news or otherwise. On the work front, everyone was churning out amazing content while I was struggling to find even 5 mins to sit in peace.

And a day came when I woke up in the morning and couldn’t feel my body in sync with my mind. I had a throbbing headache, my whole body was sore & I just felt like crying aloud.

Yes, I cried and cried for hours that day! 

Next day, I wrote a post on Instagram, asking this question, ‘Do we still need a Digital Detox while we are under a lockdown?’

 

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A post shared by Neha Sharma (@growing_with_nemit) on Apr 20, 2020 at 10:19am PDT

I genuinely wanted to know if there are others too who were feeling the need for a break. But, I didn’t wait for the answers because I knew I had to let go of the virtual world now to regain the happy state of my mind. I took a 2-week long break from all digital media, no online series, no social media, no online games & no mindless scrolling for hours.

Now, you may ask why 2 WEEKS when I could boost my mood with just 24 HOUR Digital Detox? 

Well, within a day I realized I was addicted to my mobile phone. I was feeling too anxious to stay away from it even for 5 minutes so I needed more time.

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Here are 5 easy ways which I tried for a Digital Detox–

1- Take it slow. Start with 5 mins away from your phone, as soon as FOMO hits, go back to your phone and again take a break for 5 mins. It took me a week to go from 5 mins to 24 hours break.

2- Disable the notifications. This is one of the easy ways to not get distracted by your phone. Try disabling the notifications for Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook & other such apps. Also, mute your groups, please.

3- Use the Zen Mode on your phone for some motivation. I used this feature on my phone for the first time & now I love it. Start with the lowest time duration and try to beat your own record.

4- Use the phone for your happiness. Many of us don’t realize that we can be on our phone without feeling stressed. Use it to listen to some music, read a book, hear a podcast or try your photography skills using the phone camera. But refrain from the urge to share it online.

5- Focus on what really matters. You can make disconnecting fun by focusing on what matters the most. For me, it’s my family and nothing makes me happier than spending quality time with them.

Once I took a break for a continuous 24 hours, I felt extremely happy & thus wanted to carry it forward. So, I extended my digital break time for 1 more week. I ended my break on the day Lockdown 3.0 (4 May) was announced.

I really can’t explain the boost in my mood which I felt after this digital detox session. But, trust me, if you are feeling stressed, if you are not happy when online, you are getting irritated with little things then you should definitely try a 24-hour digital detox.

Don’t let the Lockdown 4.0 (18 May) take away your peace of mind. Your health & happiness matters!

If you liked this post, don’t forget to share it ahead and tell me in the comments if you too wish to take a digital detox during this Covid-19 lockdown.

The post Digital Detox during Covid-19 Lockdown – ‘Why’ & ‘How’ to do it? appeared first on Growing With Nemit.