Back in my teenage years my parents would often ban me from using the internet for my over usage of it. Looking back I was a pretty normal teen that liked to chat too much on MSN Messenger and write angst ridden posts on LiveJournal. But I can't help realise my internet usage is now double what it use to be, with blogging, enjoying using it in down time and of course it being in my pocket with frequent notifications popping up, to drag me away from the real world.
On the whole I think the internet is amazing and I'm pretty glad I'm no longer a teenage that has to suffer going cold turkey after being caught in the act of attaching the internet lead to the phone socket at 3am in the morning - oops. However sadly the virtual worlds does have it's pitfalls and it personally can affect my social life, general feeling of calm and even sleep.
Which is why I've decided to embark on a bit of a digital detox in the hope to get back on track with reality, find joy in the simple things and finger crossed sort of my sleeping pattern. Below are 4 ways in which I hope to do that and I'd love if you also joined in with me!
Seeking out a new hobby
So I think we are all in agreement that the internet is pretty great with a billion and one thing to occupy your time with. But there are of course other things out there in the real world that can bring if not more joy and fulfilment to your life. Over the years my hobbies have dwindled until now my own true hobby is reading and even then I can go through periods of not reading due to life being too busy, well me telling myself it's busy - note to self: there's always time to read. My idea is to find a totally new hobby that will make me want to turn off my laptop of an evening and find enjoyment out of progressing with something.
My new hobby options include - To learn modern calligraphy, take up weaving a la Kate La Vie (find her pretty weaving here), to get back to drawing/watercolours again or learn a new style of cooking - I actually fancy learning how to make Sushi even though I only like vegetable and chicken (cooked!) variates.
So I think we are all in agreement that the internet is pretty great with a billion and one thing to occupy your time with. But there are of course other things out there in the real world that can bring if not more joy and fulfilment to your life. Over the years my hobbies have dwindled until now my own true hobby is reading and even then I can go through periods of not reading due to life being too busy, well me telling myself it's busy - note to self: there's always time to read. My idea is to find a totally new hobby that will make me want to turn off my laptop of an evening and find enjoyment out of progressing with something.
My new hobby options include - To learn modern calligraphy, take up weaving a la Kate La Vie (find her pretty weaving here), to get back to drawing/watercolours again or learn a new style of cooking - I actually fancy learning how to make Sushi even though I only like vegetable and chicken (cooked!) variates.
Turning everything off at least 2 times a week
On to a bit of a tough one now with turning off all media devices, including my phone, for hopefully a whole night! I was tempted to aim for 3 nights a week but let's face it, that's never going to happen. With nights free from watching TV, constantly checking my phone and using my laptop, I plan to enjoy a lot more reading especially in bed as the evenings grow colder, from a few new fiction books - The Martian and Rainbow Rowell's latest release Carry On, to non-fiction titles such as Big Magic (one for creatives) and Rising Strong by Brene Brown. I also plan to use Sunday nights as pamper time to apply a face and hair mask and to paint my nails for the week a head. I'm also excited to get around to enjoying colouring more often with my beautiful Animal Kingdom colouring book (you can find it on Amazon here) as it's such a calming activity, perfect for mental health.
On to a bit of a tough one now with turning off all media devices, including my phone, for hopefully a whole night! I was tempted to aim for 3 nights a week but let's face it, that's never going to happen. With nights free from watching TV, constantly checking my phone and using my laptop, I plan to enjoy a lot more reading especially in bed as the evenings grow colder, from a few new fiction books - The Martian and Rainbow Rowell's latest release Carry On, to non-fiction titles such as Big Magic (one for creatives) and Rising Strong by Brene Brown. I also plan to use Sunday nights as pamper time to apply a face and hair mask and to paint my nails for the week a head. I'm also excited to get around to enjoying colouring more often with my beautiful Animal Kingdom colouring book (you can find it on Amazon here) as it's such a calming activity, perfect for mental health.
Switching off notifications
Taking a digital detox isn't just about switching of media devices at set times, but taking small steps to reduce how often you get distracted by the internet on a daily basis. For me this happens with all my notifications from Twitter to eBay and of course e-mails. So taking baby steps with this I have already switched off my email notifications (whoop! Finally no more dings every few minutes) and will be manually checking them only a few times a day. I already know this will make a huge difference and will make me full enjoy when I'm out of the house walking my dog or being sociable.
No more phone alarm clock
With a slight addiction to the Internet I often find myself endlessly browsing Instagram or Pinterest before bed, which literally can go on for hours. So I've decided no more, as I know studies have shown that using devices before bed can alter the quality of your sleep and also make it more difficult to fall asleep - something I've had a problem with in the past. So out with the phone and in with the above alarm clock! This may seem like a dramatic thing to do but it will mean I learn to wind-down naturally, don't stay up too late or have the luxury of hitting 'snooze' in the mornings. This may be the toughest step of them all but it should make a big difference to my sleep.
So there you have it, my ways in which I will be taking a digital detox.
Finger crossed I manage to stick at it!
Fee xo.
Taking a digital detox isn't just about switching of media devices at set times, but taking small steps to reduce how often you get distracted by the internet on a daily basis. For me this happens with all my notifications from Twitter to eBay and of course e-mails. So taking baby steps with this I have already switched off my email notifications (whoop! Finally no more dings every few minutes) and will be manually checking them only a few times a day. I already know this will make a huge difference and will make me full enjoy when I'm out of the house walking my dog or being sociable.
No more phone alarm clock
With a slight addiction to the Internet I often find myself endlessly browsing Instagram or Pinterest before bed, which literally can go on for hours. So I've decided no more, as I know studies have shown that using devices before bed can alter the quality of your sleep and also make it more difficult to fall asleep - something I've had a problem with in the past. So out with the phone and in with the above alarm clock! This may seem like a dramatic thing to do but it will mean I learn to wind-down naturally, don't stay up too late or have the luxury of hitting 'snooze' in the mornings. This may be the toughest step of them all but it should make a big difference to my sleep.
So there you have it, my ways in which I will be taking a digital detox.
Finger crossed I manage to stick at it!
Fee xo.