The holidays are traditionally a time for setting aside the stresses of the year, and enjoying the simple pleasures of family, friends, and scrumptious home-cooked meals. However, with the constant contact today’s technology brings directly to our fingertips, that’s much easier said than done. Most of us have become accustomed to checking our phones at the first buzz, catching up with our friends on Facebook, and making sure we don’t miss a single news update.
To help you step away from your devices for a few days, Mashable carefully constructed five ‘Digital Detox Plans’ to help you disconnect the phone, and reconnect with your loved ones. Check them out and see which one you could use the most.
1. The Workaholic’s Withdrawal
If you have a hard time leaving your work in the office over the holidays, this detox is for you. With ‘The Workaholic’s Withdrawal’, cleanse yourself of all work-related communications.
Here’s what to do: If your work phone is separate from your personal phone, turn it off and hide it away until your holiday vacation has come to an end. Or, you can truly leave your work in the office, and lock your phone away in your desk drawer, where you can only be reunited with it when you return back to the office .
If you use the same phone for both work and personal communications, disable your work inbox for a little while. Also, delete any apps for the time being that send you any notifications about work related tasks.
2. The Social Network Sweep
For the social media addicts out there that love to share your every meal and status throughout the day, try out ‘The Social Network Sweep.’ This detox will help you focus less on your Facebook friends, and more on the friends and family surrounding you.
How it works: For starters, delete all of your social networking apps from your phone and tablet. If you think your addiction is too severe that you’ll just re-download them or find a computer, ask a trusted companion to change your passwords for you, only reinstating your access after the holidays. Once you get past the first initial urge to Instagram all of your new gifts, it should get easier to keep your virtual followers on their toes for a few days.
3. The Internet Eraser
If you find your digital addiction spans all things networked, you may want to try giving up the internet completely. That means no more news updates, no more TV streaming, and no more Googling every question you have.
What to do: If your phone poses the biggest struggle for you, start by turning off your mobile data and disable your phone from connecting to Wi-Fi. If you find this only pushes you to your computer, time to take drastic measures and disconnect your home router. This step back in time will be a refreshing way to connect with what matters to you, and not worry about the rest of the world. Warning: Make sure everyone else in your household is ok with detoxing for the holidays as well before you disconnect the router.
4. The Login Liquefier
Take the detox one step further and barricade yourself from logging into your computer, email, and social networks.
Dive right in: Similar to ‘The Social Network Sweep,’ this requires you to recruit a trusted partner to change your passwords for you. It’s up to you how many networks and devices you’re willing to be locked out of for a few days. However, it is recommended to keep access to your text and phone calls so you can keep in touch with the loved ones who can’t be with you.
5. The Full Monty
Feeling extra confident? Go cold turkey with ‘The Full Monty.’ ‘The Full Monty’ is a full detox of all things digital – except TV, because who can really do that?
Take the steps: To take part in this ultra digital detox, combine all of the steps in ‘The Workaholics Withdrawal,’ ‘The Social Networks Sweep,’ The Internet Eraser,’ and ‘The Login Liquefier.’ This means lock away your connected devices, delete your apps, change your passwords, and disconnect your Wi-Fi, all up to your first day back in the office.
Life without Google and Netflix may seem daunting and impossible at first, but give one of these detox plans a try and you’ll be glad you did. You will find it both rewarding and refreshing to take a step back and enjoy the simple pleasures.
We at GraVoc Associates wish you all a very happy holiday season, and hope you enjoy these truly special times with the ones you love!