“We shape our tools, therefor our tools shape us.”
We have all read about the risks of our general overuse of our digital devices – now it’s time to have a detox!
We have put together a guide to replace our device use with meditation and relaxation techniques to enhance your day-to-day wellness.
Day 1
– 30 minutes before bed put all of your devices on silent, turn off your laptop or computer and television.
– Grab your meditation cushion (or if you don’t have a meditation cushion find a cushion or rolled up blanket). Find a quiet area and either sitting on a meditation cushion (or a cushion or rolled up blanket) or laying down comfortably, play this soothing five minute meditation track.
– As you listen, close your eyes and focus on the music or your breath. Allow yourself to switch off as you listen.
– Once finished get ready for bed, keeping your devices on silent, or better still, turn them off if you don’t use them for your alarm.
Audio Player
Day 2
Today we will do the same as day 1, but this time as we sit or lay down to meditate let’s add in a breathing technique.
Remember, it’s hard to recondition our minds when we first start our digital detox – but it will get easier as we go. Resist checking your social media as you get into bed. Don’t check your emails or messages – everything can wait until tomorrow!
– Place one hand onto your abdomen and one hand onto your chest. As you breathe in relax your abdomen and feel it expanding. Fill up into your rib cage and up to the top of your lungs and slowly exhale gently contracting your abdomen. Empty your lungs completely and start the inward breath again by relaxing the abdomen and filling up from the bottom to the top.
Day 3
Now we have been practicing our nighttime meditation, let’s have a go at adding it to our practice in the morning.
– When we wake up avoid checking our phones or laptops (or tablets or smart watches or anything else you think is a loophole 🙂 ) for at least 30 minutes.
– Let’s find that comfy space again, try to stay sitting this time and listen to another 5 minute meditation track.
– This time we will add a some intentions to our meditation. As you inhale say one word of intention, on our exhale we will say the next word. You can choose whatever intention you feel is right for your day, but here are some we use regularly:
Inhale: Peace
Exhale: Love
Inhale: Patience
Exhale: Gratitude
Inhale: Clarity
Exhale: Courage
Day 4
Continue to practice your morning and nighttime meditation as you did on day 3.
– Buy yourself an alarm clock and use this to wake you of a morning. When going to bed leave your phone in another room and resist checking it before bed or when you wake up.
The detox should be really kicking in now and we will try to reduce more and more screen time during the day time as well as before bed and in the morning.
Day 5
Continuing your detox practice as per the previous 4 days, but now we will try to increase the length of time during our meditation. Here is a 15 minute meditation song for you to try.
We are now going to start to add more mindfulness to our digital usage.
– Why are you checking your social media? Are you bored? Are you feeling lonely? Does your mind need stimulation?
If any of these ring true, why don’t you call someone to talk? Maybe write in a journal or pick up a book to read, do some exercise or practice your meditation.
Replacing your social media time with a creative or stimulative way instead will help to increase your feeling of wellbeing.
Day 6
Continue following your meditation and mindfulness practice.
Let’s start to turn your phone off for a few hours when you get home. Whether it is two hours or half a day, focus your extra time on something you enjoy such as cooking, taking a walk in the fresh air, exercise or even meeting with a friend.
Day 7
Woohoo – we’ve made it to the last day! Now let’s try a full day without any digital use!
We understand that it can sometimes be impossible to let your phone go completely, but how about deleting your social media, setting your WhatsApp to’call me if you need me’, be extremely mindful about your internet usage and maybe just pick your phone up every few hours and limit yourself to 5 minutes to check for important messages, make any phone calls that you need or check for important emails.
Hopefully after a week of limiting usage you will realise that you can live without your phone, tablet, laptop smart watch. You will notice the difference in your sleep pattern with stopping usage before you go to bed and definitely seeing the positive impact of adding twice daily meditation to your routine!
Completed!
Well done on completing the detox!
Come back to this 7 day detox as often as you need to, or implement parts of it into your daily routine. Try to keep with your meditation practice and slowly build up the time spent in your relaxation state as much as you can.
