How to Do a Digital Detox: A Beginner's Guide to Better Sleep and Focus  

Late last year went with the gratitude videos and trends, and you can’t help but wonder if you had any wins too, matter-of-factly, you do! Everyone does, in fact we have so much to be grateful for, but it’s just so difficult to acknowledge them when stressors and anxiety keep coming at you from all sides. Worst still, your devices become the biggest enablers at times. 

The harmful habits; the one more video before bed and the more screen time that drags into your time. These are harmful lifestyles that steal your glow and impact your mind. It's the new year and we can't wait to start afresh with new zeal. Our steps for the new year are in 4Rs; rest, reassessing, realigning and restarting, not repeating what was unhealthy last year, and nailing goals.

Since we are not in a race with anybody, we are taking a REST to re-examine, in taking a rest and getting into this new process of growth we would start with the most taxing part of our restart goal- we go full Digital Detox mode!

It's like a reboot when your good old faithful phone starts glitching or heating up, a refresh when there's a lagging or error message. It's refreshing your mind and body to prepare for the new year. It's realigning your priorities and utilizing every moment of the new year with fulfilling memories.

Pause. Rewind. Start.

WHAT IS DIGITAL DETOX?

Like a juice detox, when you stay away from caffeine, processed food and additives, you get to stay away from doomscrolling, pressure and social anxiety. In both, you focus on healthy food and content. Your body is given the chance to feel refreshed and healed. especially because you don't know if it needs healing. The mind is ironically fragile and strong, in that it masks well and can be quick to scar. That is why we are making it a priority in this article.

Digital Detox is basically a temporary or scheduled refrainment from the use of social media platforms and electronic devices. This is an intentional process that is tailored to fit your needs, job type, and social life. It is not a restraining but a refraining, mindfulness is key and your body needs it.

Because our brain is big on balance, here’s how balance works during a digital detox;

Rest!

I mean this literary as in an actual rest slash sleeping in or afternoon naps. This is an activity that your body needs but doesn’t tell you about much. You are not the omnipresent of social media; you’re allowed to get tired too. Set your timer for when you need to put your devices down and rest up.

If you are the type that sleeps in, you will agree with me that there’s a type of glow that comes with prioritizing rest.

Let’s look at it this way; more screentime bothers your eye while more sleep time heals them, more screentime worsens your posture, and more sleep time corrects them; this is where the balance comes in.

You might argue that ‘what if it’s my work’; I mean I’m slouching in front of my laptop screen talking about this and it’s all good when there’s a balance, that’s basically why we need a detox in the first place so we can know how to balance screentime with normal time without jeopardizing anything.

Schedule that date or hangout

You’ve had your ME time, now it’s time to go outside, touch grass and chill with friends. Try Trivia nights, Kingutsu classes, Arcades and even House parties. 

 Catching up can be done offline too. Pick a nice spot that’s affordable to booth (offline doesn’t have to be expensive; I mean, that’s the goal). 

  Hanging out with friends has that way of making you see life through a kaleidoscope; fun moments become memories that stay with you forever. Be intentional about spending time with families, friends, and significant others. It gives you that social recharge that you never knew you needed.

Identify your hobbies

Work out what makes you smile like the off-the-screen activities you used to enjoy. It may be those hobbies you had when you were younger before advancement in technology came. Most hobbies are not foolish to begin with, most especially in this BIG 2026. For example, you draw comics, embroider, knit, dance, Eco craft or you collect items. 

It might even be activities you’ve not tried before, you could try your hands on painting, it’s not so difficult; buy a paintbrush, a small can of paint, I tell you, even watercolor works. Sit with your blank sheet (it doesn’t have to be a proper canvas) and do what comes to mind. 

The goal is to find new hobbies and enjoy your free time, you may not know you’re skilled in something until you try it out and a brush and paper might be just it; I find that creativity doesn’t always come with pressure so you don’t have to buy a professional painting set or a nail studio to start doing what you like. You could start practicing simple nail polish styles on others’ nails or try cooking recipes online. Sometimes the brain doesn’t like to feel pressured.

You could decide to hang out with friends while doing stuff, or you are the type that likes to be accountable while starting something new; you could sign up for a class or learn a language from a professional setting to keep you accountable. Remember not to flood your schedule or overwhelm yourself; we are about good health for our minds and bodies this season. So, choose what works for your schedule and once you’ve identified your hobby, build on it or explore them

All that matters is that you find the balance by spending your time away from online, doing something. And what’s better than doing what you love?

The Balance

First, you need to identify what works best for you. It’s essential to start small, you could do a daytime detox (9am-5am); however, it should work best by choosing some apps to abstain from instead of every app on your phone (can be restricting). 

Weekend detox works best especially when you set time apart for movie time, cleaning and other fun activities.

Nightly detox can be quite difficult but is proven to be the most beneficial; After the day’s stress, all your body wants is to relax and get extra sleep in. Like I said, start small and it becomes easier along the way. To the extent that it becomes your daily routine, an hour before bed can be a great start; Add an hour to your bedtime by sleeping early. If you find it difficult to sleep early, play music or some white noise to relieve tension and Fear of Missing Out (FOMO).

Next is to keep or charge your phone somewhere out of reach, especially nap time and use an actual alarm clock instead.
Add other activities and re-evaluate the type of content you view, to add a different niche if necessary. You can even free up space on your phone.

It’s important to note what’s different, changes, and what’s been better for you. This last process is the Journaling Step; it doesn’t have to be an actual journal, just something to help you account for the changes you’ve made so far. Through this, you can view social media and the use of electronic devices differently. This should make you feel great and ready to kickstart the new year. Not with frantic energy or dull spirits but with focused calm.

Lastly, the goal is not to quit technology forever, it’s to build healthier habits so you can use devices with intentionality, not mindlessly and hence, entering the new year with clarity and purposefulness.