So I tried to go on a digital detox. 

Why? Because I don’t want Maya growing up thinking the phone and screen are everything. And fundamentally I need to break my addiction; the pings, notifications, notoriety of being tagged raises my dopamine levels.
I recognize the value of being connecting and developing a mental health support community with other moms online – social can definitely be a beneficial tool for us – but after learning about other frightening statistics of these network engines I decided quiet time was needed

Social media addiction

It was really hard to give up something when you’re truly addicted.
I stayed off email and social networks. I had to reconfigure my mind to think outside of reaching for my phone for directions, the convenience of looking up what’s around me, etc. Better yet I had to resort to human interaction with people face to face instead of looking for social connection online.

I was still taking photos and videos with my phone though so the detox for the purpose of keeping it out of sight for Maya was not successful. But I’m determined to make this lifestyle change so will try again next weekend.

Tips for a digital detox

In the short time I went on detox this is what I learned:

1. Planning ahead of time makes it easier to remove any temptations and give you time to tell your VIPs so they’ll only contact you for emergencies.
2. Turn your cellular data off
3. Leave your phone in your bag and turn it on airplane mode in 2 hr intervals. Unless your profession is an emergency on call service you really don’t need to be notified immediately.
4. Wear a watch and keep your day planner around. I use my phone to tell time and keep track of the days so making sure I had alternatives to refer to really help curb that temptation.