How a digital detox can impact quality of life

Social media is oversaturated with wellness influencers, and to regard their recommendations with skepticism is wise. Extreme detoxes and cleanses, mega-dosing of vitamins and herbal supplements, and gazing directly at the sun for increased energy and vitality are a small sample of what’s promoted.

Not all their ideas are bad, however. Recently, some influencers have been encouraging their followers to boost mental and physical health by taking an extended break from their smartphones, also known as a digital detox.

A recent study tested the impacts of a digital detox by examining how phone restrictions affect attention, mood, cravings, and brain activity.

A team of researchers from the US and Canada recruited 467 adults (an average age of 32) and divided them into two groups.

Group 1 downloaded an app that blocked internet access from their phones for two weeks, rendering the devices useless except for calls and texts. They stopped using the app during weeks three and four of the study.

Group 2 did nothing different for the first two weeks. Then, they installed the same app and used it for the study’s third and fourth weeks.

For four consecutive weeks, all study participants completed surveys that assessed their mental health, attentional awareness, and daily activities.

The findings?

Both groups reported dramatic improvements in sleep quality, attention, mood, and life satisfaction while using the app. The detox-induced mood boost was larger than what’s typically seen with antidepressants and similar to that achieved by cognitive behavioral therapy, according to the researchers.

Unsurprisingly, when participants regained full use of their phones, these improvements diminished.

Many people experience the emotional tug-of-war between “needing” their phone and, at the same time, wishing they weren’t so attached to it. For most of us, a full digital detox is unrealistic, but a happy medium can be found.

To help establish some balance, the health coaches at Precision Nutrition recommend starting by asking yourself the following questions:

A. How do I feel about my current use of time and energy?

B. Am I putting enough of it toward what I truly value?

C. Or does what I value—sleep, family, hobbies, exercise, etc., continually lose out to endless scrolling?

If you lean more toward C, you may consider trying one or more of the following coach recommendations:

1. Turn on the “do not disturb” function during set hours so notifications don’t distract you from hobbies, family time, or sleep.

2. Keep your phone in another room during meals and bedtime.

3. Remove apps that consume time but offer little value. Alternatively, agree to use them only under specific circumstances, such as on a desktop or while using a cardio machine.

4. Regard social media as a treat, only after you’ve checked other tasks off your “things I value” list.

By modifying certain behaviors through experimentation and gradual adjustments, you can learn to optimize the benefits of your phone while preserving the life experiences you value most.