Day 6: Digital Detox (Lite Edition)

Day 6 Focus: Digital Control

When it comes to safeguarding our mental health and personal space, we often focus on external influences that cause stress and burnout. Yesterday, we explored one powerful method to manage these external pressures—learning to say No.

Today, we’ll dive into another critical factor that significantly impacts our mental well-being: unhealthy use of digital devices.

Yes, the big elephant in the room.

Most of us spend more time on our phones and devices than we realize. In fact, many people have developed unhealthy attachments to their devices—leading to anxiety, stress, and burnout.

• People struggle to sleep well because of late-night screen time.

• Work deadlines are missed, creating a cycle of stress.

• Important tasks are delayed due to doomscrolling.

• Real-life relationships are neglected in favor of filtered virtual ones.

The list goes on.

These habits only increase our stress levels and push us closer to burnout.

Today’s challenge is to create a short guide or personal action plan to help you reduce digital distractions and regain control of your time and energy.

15-Minute Exercise to Manage Social Media Addiction

Part 1: Awareness (5 minutes)

Objective: Understand your current digital habits.

1. Open your phone settings:

   • For Android, go to Settings > Digital Wellbeing & parental controls.

   • For iOS, go to Settings > Screen Time.

2. Check the following:

   • Your most-used apps (especially social media).

   • Total screen time today and this week.

   • How many times you’ve unlocked your phone.

   • Average daily use by app category (Social, Productivity, Entertainment, etc.).

3. Reflect:

   • Which app surprised you the most in terms of usage?

   • When during the day do you use these apps most?

   • How do you feel after using them (energized, drained, distracted)?

📓 Optional: Write down your top 3 most-used apps and how much time you spent on each.

Part 2: Action (5 minutes)

Objective: Set up tools to help reduce overuse.

1. Set daily app limits:

   • In Digital Wellbeing, go to Dashboard > Set app timers.

   • In Screen Time, go to App Limits > Add Limit.

   Set a realistic daily time limit (e.g., 30–60 mins) for social media apps.

2. Schedule downtime/sleep mode:

   • In Android, use Bedtime mode (under Digital Wellbeing).

   • In iOS, go to Downtime and set start/end times for sleep and focus.

   🕒 Suggestion: Set downtime 1 hour before bed and 1 hour after waking.

3. Enable focus modes:

   • Android: Use Focus Mode to pause distracting apps during work hours.

   • iOS: Use Focus settings (e.g., Work, Sleep, Personal) to limit notifications.

Part 3: Accountability & Reflection (5 minutes)

Objective: Commit to a plan and reflect on your progress.

1. Commit to a 3-day test run.

   • Follow the new app limits and downtime schedule.

   • Avoid the temptation to override the limits unless truly necessary.

2. Track how you feel:

   • End each day by asking:

     • Did I stick to my limits?

     • How was my focus today?

     • Did I sleep better?

3. Optional habit reinforcement:

   • Replace 10–15 minutes of scrolling time with something positive:

     • Journaling

     • Reading

     • Stretching or walking

     • Talking to a friend or loved one

Small changes create big impact. This exercise isn’t about removing social media entirely—it’s about being in control. By using the tools already on your phone, you’re reclaiming your time, attention, and peace of mind.