Mindful Detox

It just so happens every once in a while that a certain type of strain hits me. And it stays for long until I do something different. The headaches and the heavy eyes—they tell me they need a time out. In such times, I realise that my screen time has become alarming. And that's really just one of many cues that I need to hit the brakes a little.

It's probably happened twice in the last few months that I got berated by the drivers for being so engrossed in my phone that I almost missed my bus stops. That's not good at all because I was rather paying attention to distractions instead of being aware of my environment and situations around me.

Being in public gatherings or even planning to be in places other than work and home sometimes feels a little harder than it should. I have somehow gotten used to doing things, interacting with people, and basically living on my digital devices.

All these signs, like even feeling a bit anxious when I'm separated from my devices, are habits I've developed from being so glued to my gadgets. Life's much easier in some ways with them, really, but it gets concerning when something is taken away in when there's an imbalance.

Moving into 2025, I'd like a difference. But I'm not about all that New Year resolution whatever. I have learnt that it's just another level of procrastination without action. To see the change I want, I'm starting yesterday, so it continues into 2025.

Starting the day with my phone has proven to be an unhealthy lifestyle. I could be on it for a specific reason, but I could end up somewhere else later on, perhaps hours later. The influx of notifications and distractions play their part as I do. Instead, I adjusted my morning routines to mostly consist of other important activities. And then DND comes on, so I only check notifications when I need to in the meantime.

Back to analog. Rather than read books, take notes, or plan my day with my devices, I make use of analogue alternatives to get the job done the old-fashioned way. This helps me focus better, reduce screen time, and have interactions with my environment.

I've also been spending some more on physical books, so I don't resort to e-books too often. And as for notes, I keep my notebook with me. But you see, I regularly encounter words I don't know, and they sometimes lead me back to my phone to check them. I pulled out our big dictionary at home, so it's always with me also.

Ah, yes. I have two desks. One is digital, and the other is analog. Yes, you guessed it: I work on the digital desk—with my laptop and all—and then I think, study, and plan on the analog desk. I had been doing this for a while and then found out more how helpful this is in Steal Like an Artist for finding balance and maintaining focus.

Tech-free hours. I use them to read books, work on the farm, or workout. But I am going back to doing tech-free days once a while. One time, I went an entire day without using my devices, and boy did it suck. It was then I realised well how necessary it is to detox regularly. Tech-free days are more like a recentering experience.

The goal is to reduce eye fatigue and stress from too much screen time, be more mindful, and connect and interact with people a little more physically. And that's how I'll be starting the new year—with a digital detox—in order to strike good balance and maintain the lifestyle.