7 Signs You Might Need a Digital Detox
Ever feel like your phone is draining more than just its battery? There are several ways that technology can quietly impact your mental health.
- You feel anxious when you’re away from your phone
Checking your notifications compulsively. Having phantom buzzes. Feeling on edge when your battery dies, or you don’t have service. FOMO (fear of missing out). Difficulty being present in real life conversations because you’re thinking about your phone. All of these provide constant stimulation and keep your nervous system activated.
- Your attention span feels shorter
Struggling to focus on the movie you’re watching, without scrolling on your phone. Constantly multitasking. Needing background stimulation at all times. Difficulty completing tasks without checking your phone throughout. This could be a warning sign that you are overstimulated and are on the verge of mental fatigue.
- Social media leaves you feeling worse about yourself
Doomscrolling. Validation-seeking through likes and comments. Increased feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, or hopelessness. Comparison. A lower sense of self-esteem. These feelings are to be expected after consumption of curated content. Only seeing people’s highlight reels being portrayed as a “day in the life” can seriously affect your mood.
- You’re constantly resting but never feeling recharged
Feeling mentally foggy. Experiencing emotional numbness. Irritability after scrolling. Trouble relaxing without digital input. Many people use screens to decompress, but endless scrolling can actually increase mental exhaustion.
- Your sleep has gotten worse
Late night scrolling. Trouble falling asleep. Waking up tired. Falling asleep using your phone. Screens can interfere with both sleep quality and mental recovery. Often feel like you fall asleep while scrolling? That’s because your eyes are experiencing extreme fatigue and can’t stay open, not because you’re in a relaxed state!
- You feel more irritable or emotionally reactive
Shorter patience. Feeling overstimulated. Experiencing emotional burnout from constant information intake. Increased stress from news cycles and online conflict. There is so much “bad” that can be easily accessed and consumed on a daily basis. This keeps us in a state of fight or flight. How exhausting!
- Real-life activities feel boring
Difficulty enjoying slower moments. Reduced motivation for hobbies. A constant need for stimulation. Feeling disconnected from offline life. Our phones provide a constant stream of dopamine (a reward for our brain), so finding a source of dopamine organically can feel extremely boring. This doesn’t mean your brain is broken, it just needs a break to reset.
How to digitally detox:
A digital detox doesn’t have to mean disappearing. Try the following for a non extreme approach.
–turn off notifications
-have a screen free morning
-No phone meals
-implement a social media time limit
-take 1 unplugged hour daily
-take a break from a specific app (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, etc.) instead of all technology
A digital detox isn’t about avoiding technology entirely. It’s about noticing whether your relationship with screens is supporting your mental health or quietly exhausting it.
-Haley Martin, LMSW, LMAC