Feeling glued to your phone? This simple, practical guide helps you reduce digital overload, rebuild focus, and make more space for real life—without quitting technology entirely.

Why do a digital detox?

Digital overload shows up as:

• Mindless scrolling and lost time
• Tired eyes, poor sleep, headaches
• Short attention span, anxiety, FOMO
• Feeling “busy” but not productive
• Less time for family, friends, hobbies

What you’ll gain:

• Better sleep and calmer mind
• More focus and deeper work
• Quality time with people you love
• Motivation for hobbies and fitness
• A stronger sense of control

Quick self-check (circle any that apply):

• I check my phone within 5 minutes of waking.
• I open apps without knowing why.
• I scroll in bed.
• I feel stressed if I can’t check notifications.
• My screen time is higher than I want.

Before you start: set up the basics (30 minutes)

Audit your reality (10 min)

• Note your current daily screen time (phone settings → Screen Time / Digital Wellbeing).
• List your top 5 most-used apps and why you open them (real reason).
• Identify your trigger moments: wake-up, lunch, commute, late night, boredom, stress.

Pick clear goals (5 min)

• “Reduce phone time from 6h → 3h/day.”
• “No phone in bed, 7 days.”
• “1 social-media check window at 6–6:30 pm.”

Choose your rules (10 min)

• Phone sleeps outside the bedroom.
• No screens during meals.
• Focused work blocks with Do Not Disturb.
• Two app windows/day (e.g., noon + evening) for social media.
• A Sunday reset (clean up apps, plan week).

Tell someone (5 min)

• Ask a friend/partner to be your accountability buddy: “I’m doing a 7-day digital detox; please check in on me Wednesday and Sunday.”

One-hour quick start (right now)

• Create a charging station outside your bedroom (kitchen/living room).
• Silence your phone: set Focus/Do Not Disturb presets (Work, Family, Sleep).

Remove bait:

• Turn off non-essential notifications (keep calls, calendar, messages from VIPs).
• Move social apps to a second screen inside a folder (or uninstall for 7 days).
• Turn on grayscale (many phones: Accessibility → Color Filters) to reduce urge.

Add friction:

• Enable App Limits (e.g., 20–30 min/day for social).
• Require passcode to add time (not Face/Touch ID).

Add replacements:

• Place a paperback book, notepad, pen, puzzle near the couch/bed.
• Download offline music or a podcast for walking—no screen needed.

• Set your lock screen to a single reminder: “What do I want from this moment?”

A simple 7-day detox plan

Daily rule: phone sleeps outside the bedroom + no screens 60 minutes before bed.

Day 1 — Awareness Day

• Track how many times you reach for your phone.
• Each time, pause and ask: What feeling am I trying to change? (boredom, stress, loneliness).
• Evening: 20-minute walk without phone (or in airplane mode).

Day 2 — Morning Reset

• Wake up without phone (use a basic alarm clock).
• First 30 minutes: water, stretch, sunlight, 5 deep breaths, 5-minute plan for the day.
• App Limits live; social windows: 12:30–12:45 pm and 6:00–6:30 pm.

Day 3 — Meals + Mindfulness

• No screens during any meal.
• Try a 10-minute “single-task” block (only one thing, timer on).
• Move from doom-scroll to micro-joy: music, 10 squats, 2-minute tidy.

Day 4 — Work Focus

• Two 50-minute focus blocks (Do Not Disturb + apps closed).
• Batch messages: check at 11:30 am and 4:30 pm only.
• Replace coffee scroll with a 5-minute stretch.

Day 5 — Social Media Clean

• Unfollow/mute accounts that trigger FOMO/stress.
• Follow 5 value-adding accounts (learning, health, craft) or none.
• One hour outdoors (walk, park, chai with a friend).

Day 6 — Home Screen Detox

• Home screen: only tools (Calendar, Notes, Camera, Maps).
• Move everything else off home screen or uninstall for the weekend.
• Evening hobby hour (draw, cook, garden, read, play an instrument).

Day 7 — Reflection + Plan

• Review screen time vs Day 0.
• Note: What helped most? What tripped you?
• Set next week’s rules (keep what worked, adjust one thing).

Deep clean your devices (once, then monthly)

Notifications you’ll keep:

Calls, family messages, calendar, ride/food delivery, banking alerts.

Notifications to turn off:

Likes, follows, “someone posted,” breaking news, shop promos, game badges.

Home screen rules:

• Row 1: Calendar, Clock/Alarm, Notes, Camera.
• Row 2: Maps, Weather, To-Do, Health.
• Dock: Phone, Messages, Email, Music—if essential.

Focus modes to create:

• Work (8 am–12 pm, 2–5 pm): only VIP calls/messages; email silent.
• Family (6–9 pm): everything silent except family.
• Sleep (1 hour before bed → 1 hour after waking): only emergency calls.

Make it harder to binge:

• Log out of social apps after each session.
• Delete saved passwords for social apps.
• Use the web version instead of the app (less sticky).
• Keep the phone in another room during deep work.

Build offline habits (fill the spaces you free up)

Morning (15–30 min):

Stretch, sunlight, journaling (3 lines), short walk, prayer/breathing.

Daytime breaks (5–10 min):

Water refill, stairs, eye-relax (20–20–20 rule), 10 calm breaths.

Evening (45–60 min):

Hobby hour—cook a new recipe, sketch, language learning, board game, call a friend.

Pre-bed (30–60 min):

Low light, warm shower, light reading, gratitude list, zero screens.

Analog swap ideas:

• Paper book instead of e-reader at night
• Kitchen timer instead of phone timer
• Wristwatch instead of checking the phone
• Notebook instead of notes app for brainstorming

Boundaries with work, friends, and family

Email & chat boundaries:

• Set “office hours” in your email signature (e.g., “I check email at 11:30 am and 4:30 pm.”)
• Use delayed send; schedule non-urgent emails for work hours.

Team norms (suggest to your manager/team):

• No Slack/WhatsApp pings after 7 pm unless marked “urgent.”
• Use threads, not constant DMs.
• Weekly summary doc instead of 20 scattered messages.

Personal boundaries:

• Tell friends: “I’m off socials; text me if you need me.”
• Family group: set a call time each week instead of all-day messages.

Simple scripts:

• “I’m doing a phone-light week to reset. I’ll reply in the evening window.”
• “For deep work, I’m offline 10–12. Call if urgent.”

Cravings, slips, and what to do next

When an urge hits (90-second play):

• Notice: “Urge to check Instagram.”
• Name the feeling: bored/stressed/lonely.
• Breathe slowly 5 times.
• Replace with a 2-minute micro-action (step outside, water plants, 10 push-ups).

Most urges pass in a minute when you don’t feed them.

If-Then plans (write yours):

• If I reach for my phone in bed, then I’ll read 3 pages.
• If I feel bored at work, then I’ll stand and stretch for 1 minute.
• If I exceed my app limit, then I’ll delete the app until Sunday.

Reward tiny wins:

• Under your limit today? Treat yourself to a fancy tea, a long bath, 30 minutes of guilt-free hobby time.