7 Day Media Detox Challenge

Reclaim Lost Energy

 But this isn’t just about regaining those lost hours, this is about reclaiming lost energy. Each time you check your phone or scan social media, you rob energy from yourself and give it to someone else, even if indirectly. Companies provide social media “free” of charge because you provide the willing eyeballs to read promotional content and in exchange, you keep uploading content that keeps the social media hamster wheel turning. Nothing in life is truly free, so the saying goes, and this is certainly the case with social media. Cutting out media distractions will allow you to reclaim your life as your own.  The first week of every month, I invite you to repeat the challenge as needed. Consider it a monthly cleanse. This can change your life. If you want to reclaim your focus, regain lost energy and release negativity, take on this challenge and be ready to reap the benefits. 

Ready?

Prep Day 

Prep day is your opportunity to take a quick ten-minute self-assessment. Where are you with your current media diet? Write the following on a piece of paper (yes, paper, this is important).  My Media Diet.  Now make a list of all the media you’ve used and/or consumed at least once in the past week. Scroll through the apps on your phone (social media, news, games, etc.). Which ones do you use daily? List them. Also, list any websites you visit frequently (news, entertainment, etc.). Scan through your email inbox. What newsletters or subscriptions do you read daily? We’ll talk about how to deal with those later.  Now, continue with your day as usual, but with one key difference: be media mindful. Keep an eye out for any items that slipped your list and be sure to jot them down the moment they occur to you. Most people will have overlooked a few things—it could be a news or entertainment source, game, or forgetting that you binge on Netflix in the evening. At the end of the day, it’s time to get ready for Day One of the challenge. This step takes a few moments longer, but the work you put in here will pay off in hours of reclaimed life. Do this process once and it will be ready for action whenever you feel the need to clear your mind and do future media detoxes.  A suggested NOT ALLOWED list follows. Note you may need to adjust this to your circumstance. If Instagram is not a problem for you and you use it for work but spend hours scrolling through TikTok or Snapchat then take steps to curb the problem areas. 

• • • • No email newsletters. 
      • Work email is fine, and often not an option to turn off unless you take a vacation. 
      • Personal email *might* okay but if your friends and family are anything like mine, they will often send you links to various news, social media sources, etc… If this is an issue, consider setting your email to vacation mode for one week and let people know where they can reach you in an emergency.
      • No social media (Facebook, Insta, Snapchat, Tiktok, etc.)
      • No YouTube 
      • No Netflix, Hulu, video on-demand services
      • No news or news sources

Sit down with your device and/or devices available (tablet, laptop, phone, etc.). Make sure you have your My Media Diet list handy.  Now it’s time to build your moat. Just like a castle’s moat, your moat will help protect you from intruders. Only in this case, the intruders are various sneaky media distractions. Below are several ways to build a moat that works. Choose those that make the most sense for your lifestyle. The moat is simply a strategy to make it easier to go about your day without distraction tomorrow.  Look through your list. Which of the three categories do you spend the most time looking at each day? Rank them in order from one to three. Keeping category number one in mind, read through the following moat strategies and pick two or three that you think will help the most. 

Moat One: Keep your devices in airplane mode except for certain predefined times during the day when you check for important messages (for example, once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once in the evening). During those times you will only check for work-related or urgent messages! Don’t use this as an excuse to cheat. “Do not disturb” mode can also be an excellent compromise where you have certain work or family-related calls you need to allow through.

Moat Two: Move all social media apps on your phone into a new folder marked “DETOX”. Do the same on your other devices. 

Moat Three: For the hardcore detoxers: delete all social media apps for the coming week. You can always reinstall them later. 

Moat Four: Have a friend or family member set up the child privacy settings with a passcode and add all apps that you’ve noted on your My Media Diet list to the verboten section. 

Moat Five: Leave your devices in another room while you are working

Moat Six: Unsubscribe from email newsletters you find distracting. You can always resubscribe later. 

Moat Seven: Build your own media moat here ___________________. Please email and let me know about it. If I think it might help others (and with your permission) I will add it to the list!

Remember: Let your friends know what you’ll be up to for the next 7 days so they don’t freak out. You can also announce your detox on your favorite social media outlets, so folks know what’s going on. You can download custom graphics here.

 Let the detox begin! 

Day One: Implement and Set Your Media Detox Intent

You might feel a bit lost on Day One…as if a friend just left town. Well, something is missing! All those aimless minutes and hours you spent wasting time on social media, etc. Now you are giving your mind a break from all that, but it may take some adjustment. Every time you went and looked at social media or a newsletter you subscribed to or the news that drives you crazy, you received a slight jolt of dopamine. Without that dopamine hit, you might feel a bit tired today. That is only temporary. Most people find that the media detox fills them up with energy after a day or two. Keep at it. Remember, though, if you slip up on Day 1 and visit any of the problem areas you outlined on your prep day for the full detox experience, return to the prep stage. This is important. Don’t consider this a failure, consider it a chance to figure out where you lost focus and plug that gap in your media detox moat.

A great way to satisfy the itch today is to consider your intent for undertaking this detox. For example:

• • • Clear your mind and release negativity
    • Spend more time with your family
    • Devote more time to excelling at work or school
    • Learn a new skill or hobby
    • Spend time in meditation or prayer

Day Two – Physical Detox

If you are healthy, and there are no contraindications, do something physical today. If there is an exercise or sport you enjoy go do it. If your work is computer/desk-bound, here is today’s challenge: Set a timer on your watch or phone to go off once per hour. Stand up, bend your knees slightly and envision yourself connecting to the energy of the earth. The hum and buzz of our technology-driven lives disconnect us from that source of powerful, grounding energy. Take a deep breath and let that energy circulate up your legs and into your body. Do this for one full minute. Bonus if you can get out in nature and let your bare feet touch the grass, earth, or the sand. They call this earthing and it is nature’s way of grounding the physical body and is super helpful in detoxing and recharging our bodies. 

Day Three – Mental Detox

Congratulations! You made it to Day Three. This is where people’s cravings rise. A quick check of that favorite app wouldn’t hurt, would it? I’ve been so good. Yes, it would hurt! Even checking just for a second counts as a relapse and a reset back to the prep stage. Will I know? Um, no. Will anyone know? Probably not. But you will know. And this is about challenging yourself to strengthen your willpower and do something positive for yourself. So do it right. 

You might also find that you experience increased energy. All those hours you spent scrolling through social media, reading newsletters, or watching YouTube videos took energy, right? Well now you have that energy back, but you might not quite know what to do with it. Some people might snack more or turn to other distractions. The motto for today is to release and let go. Today’s challenge is to connect with someone you love and care about WITHOUT using social media. That might mean writing a letter, making a phone call, or inviting a friend over for dinner. If no one comes to mind, then do something nice for yourself.

Day Four. Spiritual Detox

If you meditate, pray, or use affirmations, this is an awesome day to bring those in. You don’t have to be religious or spiritual to take part in this, however. In whatever way you understand spirit—your original essence, the power of being fully you and fully alive—whatever calls to you is what will work. If you feel inclined, burn some sage or light a stick of incense. Or it might be as simple as dabbing some essential oil or your favorite perfume, cologne, or anything else that you love the smell of. Today’s challenge is to spend five minutes in meditation or prayer. I’ve included a guided meditation that you can download for free on my website. I specifically geared this meditation toward helping detox your mind, body, and spirit.

Day Five. Positive Replacements

What are you going to do with the extra time and energy you’ve reclaimed? Your activities don’t have to be “productive” but they could be. However, they should be soul nurturing and not some other form of addictive behavior. Follow your inner instinct. Today’s challenge is to take one minute, make a list and jot down a quick “next action” item for each. For example, if you wrote, “learn to play the guitar” that’s great. But there is a lot to unpack there. If you don’t yet have a guitar, the next action might be to research one that fits your budget. If you have a guitar but haven’t played it, maybe the next action is to learn how to tune it. You get the idea. The next action should be specific, measurable, and not composed of multiple steps. 

Day Six. Reconnect with your true self

What are some things you’ve learned about yourself over the past few days? Some people might find interests they’ve forgotten rising to the surface. Long forgotten dreams waiting to be explored. Others feel an urge to connect to nature again. Whatever comes to mind, I encourage you to follow it. Today’s challenge is to take five minutes out of your day (ideally first thing in the morning) to journal either on paper or if you prefer on camera (a video journal). Just let the words flow about how you are feeling and anything that comes up as you think about the past few days. If nothing comes to mind…continue anyway. Continue from that space of “nothing comes to mind” and usually something is waiting to be expressed. 

Day Seven. A Day for Gratitude

Honor yourself for what you’ve achieved. Many people struggle to change habits and you’ve taken a giant step to mastering your destiny. Today’s challenge is to take the list you made on Day One and look through it. On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the maximum rate how much you missed using that item. Commit to permanently deleting or getting rid of any items that scored 2 or below. The more streamlined you can make your media diet, the less chance for indigestion. 

Congratulations

You’ve completed your Seven Day Media Detox!

After any detox, it’s always wise to start back in slowly. You don’t need to use all your apps, etc. at once tomorrow. I recommend reintroducing them slowly and trying to remain mindful. You might find that you don’t want to check your phone as often. Many people continue to keep devices in sleep mode or leave them in another room completely while they are working. On a similar note, consider not sleeping with your phone next to you permanently. 

Frequently asked questions:

How to set up a media detox?

Follow the guide I’ve created. Hundreds of people just like you have changed their media diets.

Are there any risks to the media detox (aka media fast)?

Unlike a dietary fast where someone might starve themselves to death, there are no media “RDAs” (recommended daily allowances) even though it may sometimes feel otherwise! If you’re concerned about missing out on important work correspondence, set up your fast accordingly. Undertaking the media fast challenge takes you away from everyday distractions that prevent you from functioning at your best. Take care of yourself and honor your commitments. You should not use a media detox as an excuse to avoid necessary tasks. 

What can I do to get the most out of the experience?

Mindfulness meditation is an excellent tool to help quiet your mind and break unhealthy media habits. Here is a sample meditation you can try right now:

I invite you to sit in silence for five minutes. Set a timer so you don’t fall asleep.

Direct your attention to your breathing, and when your mind wanders, just return to your breath. Focus on the feeling of your breath moving in and past your nostrils. If your attention wanders, just guide it gently back to the breath. Counting may also be helpful with each exhale being one. While this may seem too simple, it is extremely powerful and entire meditative traditions are built on this one technique! 

You can use a variation of this simple but powerful technique whenever the urge to use media strikes. Take a breath, notice your breathing, pause for the count of five. The simple act of becoming mindful in the moment is extremely powerful and will help you break those old negative habits.

When is it appropriate to go on a media fast?

Any time you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed. Others find it helpful when they feel burned out and distracted. People who face big life decisions often find it easier to make that decision with the clarity and calm that comes with a media detox.

Do you need to take a break from the world? Do you need to unplug for a week? Think about it. What would it be like not to check your phone every 2 minutes? The 7 Day Media Detox Challenge is a journey of self-discovery and awareness. It’s time to give your body, mind, and soul the break needed to heal.