Hi, my name’s Riley-Rose and I have a digital addiction.
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I started taking the words ‘digital detox’ a little more seriously last week.
I was at a yoga class and I’d just posted a picture to my Instagram and then locked my phone in one of the lockers.
The class still had about 10 minutes before it started.
However, as I lay on my yoga mat waiting all I could think about was how many likes I was getting on my latest Instagram picture.
The temptation got too much and I actually got up from my mat, grabbed my key and headed for the locker to check my phone.
I was in a yoga class, the perfect place to ‘switch off’, how is it that all I was thinking about was my phone?
Sore thumbs, not being able to distinguish between natural light and your laptop light, slightly raging if you misplace your device ... sound familiar?
You’re not alone.
A total of 80 per cent of us reach for our phones as soon as our eyes open from slumber.
Even more bizarre is the very small/insane percentage of people (three per cent) that even hold their phones as they sleep.
I was a little smug at that last stat - I wasn’t part of that percentage so SURELY my case of digital addiction wasn’t too severe… right?
Wrong.
I downloaded an app to track how much time I was spending on my dearest little device and it revealed another shocking statistic.
I was spending at least three hours of my day with my phone in my hand.
Not to mention time spent watching funny cat videos and make-up tutorials on YouTube.
I’ve always been reluctant to take a break from my devices because I thought I needed them too much for work, until it started to affect my work.
I’d check my messages while I was on air, I’d only half listen in meetings because I was too busy scrolling Facebook, or if the meeting was really boring, LinkedIn.
I’ll be honest, days on a digital detox was giving me heart palpitations.
What if I missed a hilarious meme? They deserve my attention!
Worse yet, how do I Google something in the real world?
Would I need to visit a library?
I ditched the detox and opted for a ‘de-clutter’.
Here’s what I did:
- One hour of screen-free time a day. Admittedly, I tried this out today and it was relatively easy mostly because I napped through it.
- Turning the notifications off on your apps - who cares if someone you know is attending an event near you.
- Leave your phone at home - coffee dates and gym workouts are best completed without a phone glued to your hand. Sure, you might feel a little naked at first, but all you have to do is look down and hey, you have clothes on, no stress (unless, of course, you’re actually naked)
- Leave your phone out of the bathroom - I know, it makes toilet trips boring but it’s also less gross and you’ll feel better for it
We wake up to our screens, we fall asleep with them and sometimes they’re in our pocket all day too.
Just like any good relationship, we need a chance to miss them.
Chances are, the online world will still be there when you get back.
Riley-Rose Harper can be heard on Hit 104.9 from 6-9am on weekdays.
