Digital detox: Can you survive 24 hours without your phone?

We live in a world where phones are our alarm clocks, our calendars, our cameras and even our “best friends.” But you ever stopped to ask yourself: what would 24 hours without your phone feel like? Not just “silent mode,” but completely off, disconnected from calls, texts, social media and news alerts?

WHY WE NEED A DIGITAL DETOX

Phones are amazing but overusing them has serious effects. From poor sleep, shortened attention spans, to anxiety, our brains often need a break from the endless buzz. A digital detox is not about throwing your phone away. It is about resetting your mind and reconnecting with the present moment.

THE 24-HOUR CHALLENGE: What happens?

I tried it. I switched my phone on a random Sunday morning and committed to living it fully offline for 24 hours.

Here’s what happened:

HOUR 1-3: I kept on wondering what I’m lacking. Fear of missing out (FOMO) really kicked in. I kept on imagining that big things might have happened on the internet and I’m not updated.
HOUR 4-6: I started giving time my thoughts, thought of the things that I usually skipped because I was busy scrolling.
HOUR 7-12: I felt at peace and calm, more focused. I journaled my thoughts, went for a walk.
HOUR 13-24: I slept early because I had just come from a walk and I was exhausted. It was a deep, uninterrupted sleep. The kind I haven’t had in months.

WHAT I LEARNT

Rest is revolutionary: Constant scrolling isn’t rest. Real rest is quiet, intentional and refreshing.
Most things aren’t urgent: That notification, that text can wait.
Boredom isn’t a bad thing: You’ve got to learn to be by yourself, in that way, you will have a self-conversation to figure out what you want to do next or even take your precious time to relax.

TIPS IF YOU WANT TO GIVE IT A TRY

Plan offline activities: read, write, take a walk, cook or meet someone in real life.
Tell close friends/ family you’ll be offline.
Give your phone to someone that you fully trust.
Reflect after: what did you miss? What didn’t you miss?

Unplugging for 24 hours might sound scary at first but it’s actually kind of amazing. You get to slow down, clear your head and just be you. It’s not about hating your phone but rather not letting it run your life. So, if you ever feel overwhelmed or stuck in scroll-mode, try a digital detox. You’ll be surprised by how good it feels to just live in the moment again.