What Is a Digital Detox (And What It Isn’t)

Let me start with a confession: I don’t hate tech.

I don’t think phones are evil, I’m not trying to live in a cabin in the woods, and I definitely don’t want to delete the internet from my life. I work on a laptop most of the day. I watch videos, I use maps, I message people I love. Tech connects me to a lot of what matters.

But — and maybe you’ve felt this too — it also overwhelms me sometimes.
I’ll find myself scrolling without meaning to. Picking up my phone before I even realise I’m doing it. Distracted. Fidgety. Frazzled. Like my brain’s constantly buffering.

That’s what led me to the idea of a digital detox.

So what is a digital detox?

It’s not about quitting everything cold turkey.
It’s not about being anti-technology.
It’s not about guilt or perfection.

To me, a digital detox is simply this:

Taking intentional breaks from screens and digital inputs so you can reconnect with yourself, your surroundings, and your attention.

That might mean:

• Putting your phone away for a few hours on the weekend.

• Turning off notifications for the afternoon.

• Taking a walk without headphones.

• Switch to aeroplane mode for your first hour of the day.

It doesn’t have to be dramatic. In fact, small, consistent moments of disconnection are often more sustainable than grand, all-or-nothing tech cleanses.

And what isn’t a digital detox?

It isn’t about being a purist.
You don’t have to delete all your social media accounts or throw your phone in a lake. You don’t have to meditate on a rock for 12 hours a day.
You don’t even have to do it “right.”

A digital detox isn’t a punishment. It’s a pause.
A breath.
A reset button you press when your mind feels scattered or your energy feels hijacked.

Why it matters

We’re living in a time where attention is currency. Everything wants ours.
A digital detox is a way of reclaiming some of that — not forever, but for long enough to remember what it feels like to just be... with yourself.

Not optimising. Not consuming. Not reacting. Just being.

It’s not magic, and it won’t fix everything. But it helps. It really does.

If this idea resonates with you, that’s what Unplugging is all about.
No pressure. No preachy rules. Just honest, useful things to help you create a bit more space — one habit, one thought, one walk at a time.

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Miguel – Founder of Unplugging