A while ago when snail mail reigned supreme, the idea that the world would become as interconnected as it is today was difficult to believe. Yet here you are: connected 24/7 by the swipe of a finger, to friends, family, work mates, clients and strangers.  The benefits of connectivity are obvious.  But if you’re used to InMailing while emailing, updating a Google document, changing your status, tweeting restaurant recommendations and Instagramming a picture of your lunch; well it’s time to consider how much of this activity is really necessary.

For the overly connected, the idea of renouncing screens can be intimidating.  Don’t worry, no one is going to pry your smart phone out of your clenched fist and force you to unplug tomorrow.  Instead of going cold turkey, plan your period of disconnect in advance.

Here are three simple steps to organise your ‘digital detox’.

1 Consider when you can take time away

The purpose of a digital detox is to centre you, here and now, in the physical world. Describing his 25 day disconnect, Baratunde Thurston (once nicknamed “the most connected man in the world”) explains that Anand Giridharadas thinks of this purpose as learning to be “thickly in one place and not thinly everywhere.”

To experience a quality digital disconnect and stop spreading yourself too thin, block off at least two weeks.  One week will not be enough for the experience to sink in, as during the first few days you’ll feel “digital withdrawal” symptoms.  Then by the time you’ve begun to relax – bam! – you’ll be back at the office.  Instead, use your annual leave or a holiday season like Christmas or Easter to do this digital detox.

2 Tie up loose ends

To ensure a smooth transition into your digital detox, start a month before it begins by telling the important people in your life (workmates, close friends, family, kid’s school, landlord etc) that you’ll be unavailable between your chosen dates.  But do remember that unforseen problems happen and consider how people will be able to contact you in an emergency.

A week before your detox begins, remind your network.  Compose a polite yet direct auto-responder message for your emails and decide how you’ll communicate your absence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social networks.  (During his detox, Thurston changed his profile picture to a message saying “I won’t be here again until [date].”)

Finally, the day before digital detox D-Day, enable your email auto-responder.  Remove push notifications from your phone, unsubscribe to unimportant update lists or even delete social media apps (you can download them again when your detox ends!).

3 Create your disconnect bucket list

Remember, disconnecting doesn’t have to mean living alone on a mountaintop somewhere.  Instead, make a bucket list of what you want to see and do while unplugged, being sure to highlight re-connecting (in person) with friends and family.  Sharing food, exploring your city through a tourist’s eyes, reading, writing, taking classes and going to cultural and sporting events are all great options.  Remember, the idea isn’t to disappear from the world. It’s to spend time consciously living in it – without a never-ending stream of hashtags, retweets and likes.

Use these simple tips to prepare your digital detox and live life
without instant notifications.