Here’s What Happens to Your Brain and Body During a Digital Detox

On 31st of July 2012, India was hit by the largest blackout in history. The electrical power collapsed for several hours, affecting 670 million people. It was a forced collective digital detox, if you may.

Now, imagine you were one of those people with no way to connect to the digital world for half a day. What would have been your reaction?

You would have taken your day off, enjoyed some quality time with your family and friends or read a book, right?

Well, that’s true in theory. In practice, you would have experienced the first signs of withdrawal: anxiety, irritability, and so on. It might sound exaggerated, but digital addiction is a real thing.

But, when you give up technology, even if it’s for an hour, something amazing happens to your mind and body. Here are some of the benefits of a digital detox.

2. Your Memory Improves

When you’re staring at your phone, you aren’t actually paying attention to what the person in front of you is saying. You might think that you have distributive attention and can do two simple tasks, like scrolling through your newsfeed and talking with your friend at the same time. In reality, multitasking is a myth.

But, when you become present in the conversation and start listening more attentively, you’ll register the little details you would have missed otherwise. Your brain will be more focused and able to store more information. You’ll have more to think about, which will help you get a deeper understanding of the problem at hand.

2. You Build Meaningful Friendships

Do you put your headphones on when commuting from one place to another? You do know that’s like a “stay away from me!” sign, right? But, when you don’t have a device to play with, you begin to open up. Your body language changes too: you sit straighter, open your “power zone,” and begin to look people straight in the eyes.

When you become more approachable, you can have incredible conversations with strangers and you are more likely to build new relationships and improve your old ones.

3. Your Productivity Increases

In the few minutes it will take you to read this article, your phone will buzz, you will stop to check your email, and you won’t help but glance at that Facebook notification in the corner of your screen.

Distractions are everywhere, and it’s hard to resist them. Even if you put your phone face down on the desk in silent mode, studies have shown that the mere sight of it can affect your ability to perform a task.

A digital detox will teach how to be present and focused on the task at hand. In time, you’ll notice that you are less stressed, more focused and more creative when you are not bombarded by information every minute of the day.

We often think about how useful and wonderful technology is. And, that’s completely true! However, try to remember that it can also be a double-edged sword. You need a digital detox from time to time to find balance and improve your life.