Are these suggestions or instructions?
The digital detox card set is for you to use as you wish. It isn’t a game and there are no rules; but having said that we do have have a set of recommendations for how you can get the most value out of the detox period. The cards serve to provide a means to focus and step, positively, through the days making a series of highly beneficial behavioural optimisations.
This deck represents a high value project for all people, not just social media addicts. Neuroplasticity means the brain rewires itself when exposed to new experiences, especially when there is repetition involved. Additionally, research has shown, the power of addictions and compulsions greatly subsides over a 30 day period of abstinence. New and healthy routines are given an opportunity to bed in.
Day-by-day these cards provide a deceptively powerful set of recommendations and ensure there is plenty more that is positive, fun and life enhancing to do and think about in place of wasting time on social media.
These cards aren’t magic of course. They won’t work unless you want to lean-in and commit to using them. But if you do lean in, I suspect you will be surprised at just how powerful and how much of a difference the detox will make. Even if you are a Social Media addict, you will find the replacement activities remarkably fulfilling. The beneficial effects go way-beyond simply avoiding wasting time.
Q. Is it a Social Media detox or a Digital Device detox?
A. It can be either. We suggest writing down what you have decided you want it to be beforehand, because it is always a good idea to set an objectively recorded yard-stick, to help avoid any temptation to backslide. Conducting a digital device detox is of course a little more complicated, by the fact digital devices are pretty essential these days for conducting business. So it is probably better to define the rule of the detox as “Social Media + non essential, non business use.”
On one of the cards we recommend checking out some of the modern boardgames that are available. Monopoly is fun, but things have moved on a lot and there are some really fun and exciting alternatives. This could be defined as a non-essential, non business use of a digital device. So if you want to be really strict with yourself, perhaps check out that webpage and consider if you want to get a good healthy social modern and exciting board-game prior to starting the detox:
The link goes to this Kickstarter page.
Warm-up Period
There is an initial 4 day warm-up period before the digital detox proper starts. On the 5th day it is suggested all social media usage and/or non work related digital device usage should be stopped. Though you are of course, if you prefer, you can do this from the day you send the notice to your friends informing them you will be unavailable for a period of time.
Q Why do some cards have letters after the day number?
A. Quite simply because on some days we judge you might want a choice between the recommendations/activities. We have been careful to balance the recommendations. There are a good number with scientifically proven neurological benefits and additionally activities that are simply healthy and fulfilling. We have tended to ensure the recommendations with either proven benefits or recommendations that build structurally, are placed on separate day’s cards. The detox should stretch you a bit into a healthy space. But equally we want it to remain fun and don’t want you to feel like the process is a chore or a straight-jacket. So where there are recommendations that are for, roughly speaking, equivalent kinds of activities and where we think you might fancy a choice, we given you one. Our choices on this are admittedly quite subjective though. Other choices would have been equally valid.
Completionists might want to consider stepping through all the cards, numbers and letters included. It’s entirely up to you of course.
The very first day, we recommend sharing this page with your friends, so they know you will be unavailable for a period of time. It contains the video you have probably already seen about dopamine and small dopamine hit distractions and gives an overview of what the detox is about.
