What 5 Days Of A Digital Detox Diet Taught Me

Posted: June 9, 2015

Going offline is good for you. You connect to the real world, in ways that constant digital connectivity does not allow you to. Here is an account.

A few weeks ago, unexpected circumstances coupled with personal choices compelled me to stay away from the digital world for a day. So really, what it meant was – no e-mails, no Facebook, no Twitter, no Whatsapp. And very limited mobile phone usage as well.

I was unsure how I would live through the day. But at the end of the day – I felt wonderful! So I thought, “Why not extend this state of being for 5 days?” and the deal was sealed. There just was one hitch: given that a lot of my professional responsibilities compel me to be ‘digitally connected‘ and the fact that I love social media and blogging made it seem that it would be tough to honour the self-made deal.. Nevertheless, I was determined to make an attempt.

And I did manage to be on a Digital Detox Diet for almost 5 days.

The whole experience was an eye-opener; and also made me realize so many things about myself, digital/social media, people, relationships, and life itself.

In this post, I am sharing the life lessons I took away at the end of this diet.

The real-world has a beauty, charm, magic and experiences which can never be lived in the digital world. Most of them are way better than the digital world!

The real-world and digital-world are similar in some sense – in terms of who inhabits them (people, right? Not robots yet!), but so different – in terms of what they bring out in you and what you take-away for each.

There is a digital world beyond the real-world, and a real-world beyond the digital world. Where one ends and the other starts is tough the say. It is a continuum.

YOLO or FOMO?

As a thought, YOLO (You Live Only Once) – in the real world is more powerful and empowering than FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) – in the digital world. You miss out on a lot of real-life moments when you are digitally tuned-in all the time

In the digital world, beyond a point – nobody bothers or cares. Simply because there is so much digital content to consume every single second!

Quality and Quantity of time matter – for both the real-world and digital world. Be conscious of the choices you make, and their trade-offs.

Keep a watch on your patterns/behaviour

The digital / social world is addictive, and somewhat toxic after a point. Keep a watch on your patterns and behaviour.

At the end of it all, I strongly recommend some day(s) of self-imposed digital detox diets. It does good to you and those around you. Ever been on a digital detox diet? What did it teach you? Leave a comment to let us know.

Digital world image via Shutterstock