When we started our Digital Detox, the idea seemed so simple and appealing: We would commit to 30 days, break our problematic habits, and create some much-needed space in our lives, easy peasy. In reality, this detox has been both fruitful and challenging in unexpected ways.

Now that we’re halfway through, here’s what we’ve learned:

1. Our digital habits are deeply engrained.

   Unfortunately, simply deciding to break a problematic habit is not enough to actually stick with it. After setting lofty and optimistic goals, we found it harder than expected to carry them out. We watched ourselves constantly and habitually reach for our phones — even though knew there was no practical reason to do so, and our noble intention was to “detox.” Although we weren’t able to magically change our habits overnight, it was powerful to become more aware of just how deeply rooted they had become. From there, we were able to pinpoint some strategies to begin breaking them (see #3).

2. Out of sight, out of mind.

   In general, we’ve found that setting time limits on apps doesn’t work very well (Instagram, anyone?). More often than not, we override the limits and feel even worse for having done so. Instead, deleting apps entirely, even if just for a day, can help interrupt the pattern of constant checking and create space for new habits to form. Similarly, making a practice of putting your phone away, in a bag or drawer so it’s completely out of view, can support you in using it less. It seems obvious, but how many of us are actually doing it on a daily basis? Give it a try.

3. A five-second pause can work wonders.

   Once you become aware of a habit, like compulsively checking your phone, you can take that awareness a step further in order to change it. This week, we’ve been experimenting with a “five-second pause:” Whenever we notice ourselves reaching for the phone, we take five seconds to breathe and ask: “What’s behind this urge? Is there a feeling that I’m attempting to numb or resist? What would happen if I simply sat with this feeling or sensation for another five seconds?” This simple strategy has prevented countless unnecessary phone pickups for us this week. Shoutout to Spring Member Jenny for coming up with this one!

We hope these lessons have been helpful. If you can relate, or if you have other ideas to support digital wellbeing, reach out to us at info@thespringmeditation.com!