Time for a digital detox? 6 tips to help you reconnect

 We all know when we’re using our smartphones too much. You put it down, only to pick it up again. There might not even be a notification on the lock screen.

If that sounds like you, don’t worry... you’re not alone. Lots of people find it difficult to unplug from the world, even for a short while. In fact, the average person in the UK checks their phone every 12 minutes throughout the day!

To mark the USA’s National Day of Unplugging on March 1-2, we’re inspiring our UK readers to join those on the other side of the pond by taking a ‘digital detox’.

So, here are some ways you and your family (particularly if you have teens or tweens in the house!) can reconnect and enjoy some time away from your devices:

1.   List what you love

Sit down with your family and write a list of all the things you enjoy doing in life – running, meditating, reading – but currently aren’t making enough time to do. Hopefully you’ll get to the end of the list and realise that if you were to cut back on your use of technology, you would recoup some all-important hours in the day – hours that you could spend doing more of those things you really love.

Pin the list to the fridge as a constant reminder of what you could be doing instead of scrolling through your Instagram feed for the tenth time that day!

2.   Set a weekly tech allowance

How much time do you think is acceptable to use your phone each day? An hour... two hours? Figures from Ofcom show the average adult in the UK spends nearly nine hours of each day on media and communication. That’s more hours than most people sleep.

Setting a realistic daily allowance of how much you’re allowed to be online for will mean you’re more likely to stick to it. Many of the latest phones now give you a report of how many hours you’ve spent on them each week – so your usage should be easy enough to track. Inject a bit of healthy competition with family members or colleagues – whoever’s had the least amount of screen time at the end of each week wins a prize!

3.   Take a moment

For those who don’t have phones which track their usage – and even for those who do – the Moment app might come in handy. Available on iOS and Android, Moment promises to “help you use your phone in a healthy way so that you can be present for the parts of life that matter most”.

Using Moment, you’ll be asked to undertake short, daily exercises and follow some simple strategies designed to help you reimagine your relationship with your phone.

Try it. It works!

4.   Stack ‘em up

For anyone with kids in their teens, meal times can be something of a battle – asking them to put their phones down for 10 minutes is met with the same level of enthusiasm as when you ask them to tidy their rooms.

But even us adults can be guilty of checking our phones when eating dinner. That’s not what dinner time should be about, should it? It’s the perfect opportunity to catch up on the day with your loved ones – it’s quality time that should be spent together, rather than on phones.

To stop you and your family scrolling during meals, try ‘phone stacking’. Everyone puts their device in the middle of the table – first to reach for their phone must do a chore like wash up! If the teenagers still object to relinquishing their phones, then tell them that if they add their phone to the pile, they can charge it at the same time; a dual-port PowerBank from GP allows more than one person to take advantage of this...only problem will be deciding who gets first dibs on the charger!

5.   Hit the off button

We’re not suggesting you leave your phone at home or turn it off completely for the entire day. We get it, life is busy and people need to stay in touch, especially if they have families or ongoing work commitments.

But why not try deliberately leaving it behind during quieter moments, like when you need to pop out early evening to get some bread or milk? Ditch the smartphone and the headphones, and just enjoy the simple pleasure of walking to and from the local corner store.

Even when you’re at home, get into the habit of leaving your phone somewhere in the house – on airplane mode so it’s not constantly pinging – out of eyeshot, rather than carrying it around with you. That way, you can focus on helping with homework, bedtime story reading or chatting with your other half without distractions.

6.    Find a detox buddy

Like everything that requires self-discipline and determination, it’s easier when you’ve got somebody cheering you on.

So, why not tell everyone what you’re doing. Not only are you more likely to stick at it, they might even join you on your digital detox. Turn off push notifications together; go out for walks and catch up; grab a bite to eat somewhere.

Before you know it, your relationship with your phone will return to one of enjoyment, rather than reliance, where you’re the one in the charge (and not the other way around!).

Everything in moderation, as they say. We know it’s unrealistic to avoid tech completely – but take back control and choose when and how you want to use it.

Detox with GP

Here at GP, we’re committed to detoxing our lives and our planet, which is why we are the world’s no.1 supplier of rechargeable batteries and a big supporter of the Bring Back Heavy Metal campaign. We’d love to hear your ideas on mindful ways to achieve a digital detox –  just comment below, or head to our Facebook or Twitter page and tell us how you avoid becoming a slave to your smartphone!