Your Mini Guide To Digital Fasting

Imagine a peaceful and quiet environment with no interruptions, no noise, and a calm body, mind, and no nagging sense of missing out; we're sure you'd like to achieve this state of relaxation as well, but just as you start to imagine it, your phone's notification chimes, and your concentration level plummets. Consider another scenario: you have a test tomorrow and you pick up your phone to look something up on the internet, and you casually browse your social media. Situations like these remind us that there is a world outside of our gadgets as well. While there is no harm in using your social media but being addicted to it all the time can cause grave issues. ‘Digital Fasting’ has come to your rescue but it is like a self-help tool.

Digital fasting can be described as periods of time in the day or week when you temporarily take a break from all your gadgets, it can cut down compulsive behavior (checking your phone all the time), cell phone addiction, and improve concentration.

Let us look at some reasons why digital fasting is a must-do

1. Clarity

By practicing digital fasting, you will get a sense of clarity around you, your concentration levels are likely to go up and you will understand what your subconscious mind is trying to tell you. Shutting the phone and laptop will make you grounded and calmer, more aware of your surroundings and how you respond to the stimuli around you.

2. Improved Sleep

According to studies, increased use of devices around bedtime disrupts the sleep cycle, and the light emitted by the gadgets can harm your sleep hormones and other hormones in general. If you suffer from anxiety, sleeplessness, or mood swings, you must try digital fasting.

3. Less Stress

There is enough evidence to link the use of technology and increased stress levels. A constant need to check emails, texts, and social media has been accounted for tech stress. One doesn’t realize but we have reached a stage that technology has begun controlling us, therefore it is advisable to limit your device usage and reduce stress, depression symptoms, and sleeping problems.

4. Embrace Boredom

Give your mind a break, do not constantly engage in using your phone, why do you use social media, simply to distract yourself but what if you learn to embrace the boredom, relax and most importantly give your brain time to wire itself to process the endless stream of content you send to it. By doing this, you’ll notice increased focus and attention.

5. Get Creative

Research has highlighted that being alone (without your device) will increase your creativity levels, once you hamper down the inputs, there can be a conductive clouding in your outputs, meaning a state of awareness. Use this fasting phrase to engage in painting, writing, and doing any other hobby, and you’ll feel more happy and productive.

So the next time someone invites you to a picnic, a hiking trek, or just a casual lunch, participate actively in that activity rather than relying on your device, and if you're experiencing problems with your sleep cycle, irritation, stress, or anything else, simply reduce your technology input or do some digital fasting. If someone asks why you missed the latest episode of a TV show, simply say you were digital fasting and carry on.