This near-constant use of digital devices has revolutionized the way humans interact and connect, and while many of the applications can have positive impacts, incessantly checking your phone or spending too much time on these devices becomes problematic when it turns into compulsive behavior.
“Research has shown that consistent and constant screen time and digital engagement can negatively affect the brain and create ongoing health issues,” says Jessica Steinman, a licensed marriage and family therapist and chief clinical officer of No Matter What Recovery, an addiction treatment center in Los Angeles.
For example, doom scrolling at night can disrupt focus, memory and your relationships.
With an increasing awareness of the downsides of technology overuse, “digital detoxes” have gained attention recently as a means of combating the addictive elements of modern digital media consumption.
Do digital detoxes work? Read on for everything you need to know about how to start a digital detox, how long you should detox for and how you can return to using your device in a more mindful and deliberate way to retain the benefits of the detox longer term.
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What Happens During a Digital Detox?
Taking a break from screens triggers an initial period of withdrawal-like discomfort, heightened anxiety and strong urges to check your device as your brain craves dopamine stimulation. But, sticking with the detox allows your dopamine levels to settle, and eventually you’ll see those automatic scrolling habits weaken. Over time, this reset leads to a calmer mind, lower stress, improved focus and a restored natural sleep-wake rhythm.
“Essentially, you are breaking a habit and giving your prefrontal cortex a chance to rest,” says Sheila Modir, a board-certified child and adolescent psychologist at Rady Children’s Health in Orange County, California.
But be forewarned: You probably won’t feel great straight out of the gate when you step back from the digital world.
“When someone decides to take a digital detox, it can be very difficult for the first few days or possibly longer,” Steinman says. This has some echoes in how addiction works — withdrawal from substance misuse can also be a particularly difficult period.
Some of that discomfort stems from how deeply entrenched the habit of using your device and social media has become. After all, “habits can be challenging to break,” explains Frances Chinchilla, a licensed clinical social worker and behavioral health clinical manager with AltaMed Health Services in Los Angeles.
What’s more, not constantly seeing messages, news or other information that you’d previously received from your device can make you feel anxious about missing out on important updates.
In the initial hours or days, “you may notice a strong urge to check your device because your brain has become accustomed to the stimulation and dopamine-driven rewards associated with scrolling, notifications and new content,” Chinchilla says.
| Digital Detox Timeline | Expected Psychological and Physical Effects | Key Strategy |
| Hours to first few days |
— Strong urges to check device for dopamine rewards — Heightened anxiety, discomfort and FOMO (fear of missing out) |
— Resist automatic scrolling impulses — Practice tolerance for low-stimulation moments — Create a phone “jail” if impulse is high — Turn off unnecessary app notifications |
| 24 hours to 3 days |
— Shift from discomfort to increased awareness — Sense of calm as dopamine release settles — Initial reduction in stress levels |
— Start small in 24-hour increments — Notice triggers driving screen use (emotions, notifications, social anxiety) |
| First couple of weeks |
— Extended attention span and improved focus — Reduced compulsive checking behavior — Improved natural sleep-wake rhythms |
— Replace screen time with nature, exercise or hobbies — Connect face-to-face with friends and family |
| One month and beyond |
— Improved baseline emotional balance — Eased digital burnout and reduced dependency — Sustained stress reduction and mood boost |
— Set firm boundaries and goals when resuming device use — Practice mindful technology use based on purpose rather than duration |
[See: Signs You May Have a Gambling Disorder or Sports Betting Addiction]
Health and Brain Benefits of a Digital Detox
If you can stick with the detox until those uncomfortable feelings subside, your mind can begin to settle. “Once dopamine is not constantly being released, the mind begins to quiet and there can be a sense of calm,” Steinman says.
Amid that calm you’ll likely experience some specific changes including:
— Lower stress levels. If you’re no longer constantly consuming content that agitates you, your stress levels will likely fall.
— A longer attention span. A longer attention span allows you to better focus on other people, conversations and activities. “Many people don’t realize how much time their phone use consumes, so a detox allows for more connection with the people around you,” Steinman says.
— Less compulsion to constantly check your device. “Over time, reducing digital use can help weaken the automatic urges and make it easier to engage in other activities without constantly seeking that stimulation,” Chinchilla adds.
— Improved sleep. The blue light that emanates from your screen can also impact stress hormones and your ability to sleep, so removing that light, especially at night, can help your body get back to a more natural sleep-wake rhythm.
— Better awareness of how you use your time and why. “From a mindfulness perspective, one of the first things people often notice is actually not relaxation but awareness,” adds Sophie Lazarus, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral health with the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. “Many of us reach for our phones automatically when we feel bored, lonely, stressed, uncertain or uncomfortable. A digital detox can interrupt that habit and make us more aware of why we’re reaching for a device in the first place.”
Lazarus, who is also a certified teacher of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and director of mindfulness programs for resilience and well-being at Wexner, says the real value of a detox is not just less screen time, but taking time to actually notice how our devices and the content we consume affect us.
“It’s creating space to reconnect with experiences that are easy to miss when we’re constantly stimulated, including our own thoughts and emotions, our relationships and the natural world.”
[Read: What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?]
The Brain Science Behind Screen Addiction and Dopamine
“When we interact with fast-paced, highly rewarding stimuli like new notifications, messages, endless reels or likes, we trigger a dopamine response in the brain’s reward center,” Modir explains. That hit of feel-good brain chemicals drives you to continue picking up your phone or laptop.
However, the more that happens, the more dependent you become on that stimulus.
“When dopamine is released in a continuous way, it causes people to struggle reaching a baseline of what their true emotions or feelings are,” Steinman says.
This constant release of dopamine makes it harder to stay focused, slow down and tolerate activities that don’t provide that same immediate reward.
What Happens to Your Body and Mind During a Digital Detox?
Research shows that taking time away from your devices really can reduce your stress and anxiety levels while also increasing your productivity, self-confidence and overall feelings of positivity.
However, “a detox is not a magical cure. It’s more of a reset button,” Modir notes.
The key to getting the most from a digital detox lies in how you use your time away from your devices, Modir says. For example, if you use that reclaimed time to build new habits like prioritizing sleep, engaging in hobbies or creating face-to-face connections, you’re likely to experience more benefits than if you replace one bad habit with another bad habit.
You also need to “consciously make sure to set boundaries to protect that time when the detox is over” to sustain the benefits longer-term, she says — meaning you’re not done when you return to your phone.
“The next step is intentionally redirecting that time to something mood-boosting, like spending time in nature, with your friends or exercising,” Modir notes.
The whole thing works best when you can shift to being more mindful about how and when you use your devices.
Apps and Tools to Help You Digitally Detox
While the whole point of a digital detox is to set down the screens, there are, in fact, some apps, tools and other devices that may help you in your pursuit of less device dependency.
Some of these options are already at your fingertips:
| Digital Detox Tool Category | Options |
| Built-in phone tools |
— iPhone users: The built-in Screen Time tool tracks your daily and weekly activity. You can also set time limits for specific apps and schedule downtime. Focus Mode prevents notifications from disturbing you when you’re sleeping, studying or working. — Android users: The Digital Wellbeing screen has a built-in tool where you can set app timers and turn on Bedtime Mode or Focus Mode to prevent notifications from interrupting you. |
| Third-party apps |
— Popular tracking apps like StayFree, Forest and Opal: These track your app use and block distractions. — Mindfulness and relaxation apps like Calm, Headspace and Insight Timer: Useful in addition to screen tracking apps, these can redirect your phone into a more productive meditation or mindfulness practice. |
| Physical devices |
— Free DIY phone jail: Set up a spot where you can put your phone (in a cabinet, box, etc.) to avoid compulsive checking. — Brick device: This is a physical device you put in your house that allows you to selectively block specific apps, and requires that you physically return to the brick to unlock those apps. |
How Long Does a Detox Need to Be?
There’s no single ideal length of time for a digital detox. Much of the research into the effects of detoxing have lasted about one to two weeks.
Additionally, “research on habit formation suggests that new habits often take several weeks to a few months to become more automatic, depending on the person and behavior,” Chinchilla notes.
However, it depends to some extent on how you’re using technology in the first place, Lazarus says. “The emerging research suggests that reducing screen time or social media use can improve aspects of well-being, mood, attention and social connection for some people, but the effects are not uniform and the science is still developing.”
When taking stock of how you use your device, Lazarus recommends considering more than just how many hours you were on your phone. Instead, ask yourself:
— What was I looking for when I picked it up?
— How do I feel afterward?
— Is this helping me connect with something meaningful, or helping me avoid something uncomfortable?
“Often those questions provide more insight than any screen-time report,” she says.
And, Lazarus adds that “screen time is not a single thing. Video chatting with family, reading a news article, doom scrolling social media, and playing an immersive game are very different experiences.”
Increasingly, researchers are finding that how and why people use technology may matter as much as, or more than, the total amount of time they spend on screens, Lazarus explains.
What’s more, for many of us, it’s simply not possible to completely remove screen time from our daily life because of work or family obligations. While it may not be possible for you to go completely screen-free for months at a time, being intentional with when and how you resume using your device can help make the detox more sustainable.
“Maintaining new boundaries is important,” Chinchilla says. “If you resume your previous patterns of frequent or compulsive use, the benefits of the detox will most likely fade over time.”
How to Start (and End) a Digital Detox
If you’re thinking about trying a digital detox, Steinman recommends starting out slowly and doing it in increments. Start with a 24-hour break and see how it feels. You may feel more anxious, but by the time the detox stretches to three days, you should start to see positive results.
“The hardest but most helpful way of detoxing would be from a week to 30 days to really ease possible burnout and constant stress and heavy digital dependency,” Steinman says.
When breaking the fast of a digital detox period, be prepared to feel anxious or nervous when you do get back to your device and see a lot of notifications. It might feel a little overwhelming at first, but try to avoid sliding right back into your old habits. Steinman recommends reentering slowly by setting time limits to keep yourself mindful of how long you’re spending on the device.
Lastly, Chinchilla says it’s important to remember that no matter how demanding your device can seem, real life is happening outside of the screen.
“Being present in your environment, spending time in nature, moving your body and connecting with people face-to-face can support better mental health and give your mind a break from the constant stimulation of being online. A digital detox is really about creating more balance and making space to reconnect with the world around you.”
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The Digital Detox Timeline: How Long It Actually Takes to Reset Your Dopamine originally appeared on usnews.com
