Do You Need a Digital Detox?

Hey, everybody. Welcome to my weekly house call. Your chance to ask me your questions. And this week's question is. Well, it's not really a question. I want to talk to you about why we all need to unplug. Why, in fact, we all need a digital detox. We are all more plugged in every day, and we lose connection with ourselves and with others with increasingly bad consequences for our mental and our physical health. You know, I was recently visiting Google and I walked in this lunch area and I saw everyone sitting on the couch, couches, and the tables, and they were all plugged in, looking at their computers. And I said to somebody, is this a silent lunchroom? And they're like, no. And I was like, wow, these people are not talking to each other, they're just in their screens. You know, I find myself sometimes sucked into and I'm in my computer, I'm in my phone. And I often miss the humans and the world that's right in front of me. And it's always why I make sure I do a complete digital detox at least a few times a year and get back to just being okay. So why is all this digital stuff so bad for us? Well, more and more studies have been coming out about the link between excessive Internet use and screen time and all sorts of problems like mental and mood disorders like add, anxiety, depression, and lots more. In a recent study, people who reported problematic Internet use also reported social anxiety, things like loneliness, social isolation, and even a lower quality of life. The study also showed that Internet addiction was, was associated with reduced immune function. Literally, being sucked into the Internet can suppress your immune system. That's right. Too much Internet and screen time can actually make you sick. So when you're connected online, you often might be disconnected from yourself. So how is this all possible? Well, your addiction to your screen prevents you from the habits that often make you a healthier person. People who are addicted to the screens often live very sedentary lives. They don't make enough time for exercise or movement or community or play. These are really important factors if you want to achieve optimal health. And people who habitually sit all the time have as much risk of dying as people who eat bad food or who smoke. I mean, people are saying that sitting is the new smoking. Being sedentary also increases the risk of things like cancer, heart disease, diabetes. Sitting really is the new smoking. Also, the more time in front of the screen that you have means less time for face to face contact with other humans, which not only increases your stress level, but it also increases Feelings of isolation and social anxiety. Too much Facebook and not enough real face to face time is not good for you. Also, your screens disrupt your sleep. Too much screen time, especially before bed, and disrupts your circadian rhythms. And that affects our hormones, our sleep, and our energy. Now this artificial light that comes from our screens, what it does is it delays melatonin secretion, which is what you actually need for sleep. And we now know that inadequate sleep can quickly sabotage our efforts at getting healthy and losing weight. Sleep is one of the major things you need. It's a cornerstone for an energetic, joyful, and healthy life. And now we know that not getting enough sleep or getting poor quality sleep adversely affects the hormones that make you hungry and store fat. In fact, one study found that just a partial night's sleep could create insulin resistance. Ever wonder why you get those bad sugar and carb cravings after sleep deprivation? That's why. Now other studies show that poor sleep contributes to heart disease, to depression, to, to poor immune function, even lower life expectancy. So my suggestion, banish the phone from your bedroom or at least leave it on airplane mode. So many of us are used to slaving away in front of our computers. We push ourselves to get more work done and be more efficient. But a Stanford study found that creative output actually increased by an average of 60% in people who just got out, away from their computers and took regular walks. In fact, the more fun we have, the more we move, the more we get out in nature and away from our phones and computers, the more productive we become and the healthier we are. Now, attention and focus are hard to come by. You know, psychiatrists are increasingly diagnosing what we call Adult Attention Deficit Disorder, or add. And they prescribe Ritalin for grownups who can't focus or pay attention. And, and a lot of this is because we're distracted. Just distracted by email and iPhones and the ping of our new text messages. And our bodies actually break down under this onslaught of this stress. Insomnia, anxiety, depression, chronic disease are all made worse by this chronic stress from being constantly plugged in. So in order to manage all this stress, we need to unplug and have fun. Now, I love to incorporate play and fun in my everyday life. I like horseback riding, basketball, biking, yoga, decompressing with friends over a good meal, sometimes a little tequila. All these things are the things that keep me happy and allow me to recharge so I could really do well, perform well, be my best at all the jobs that I have. And I have A lot of them. So play is not just for kids, it's also for adults. It's a chance for us to unplug, to de stress, to find joy, to challenge our brain in different ways, to connect with new friends, to old friends. And it also keeps our immune system and our whole body healthy and boosts our energy. So here's my special tips for unplugging. First, think about using a timer. Commit to only a certain amount of time per day on your screen. I like to set a timer to stay focused and focused on the things that are right at hand. When the timer goes off, well, guess what? I get up, I take a walk, I go for a stretch, I take a yoga break. And it keeps me from being sedentary even on the days where I have to do a ton of work on my computer. Next, Silence your cell phone. Unplugging doesn't mean going for a walk while scrolling through Facebook and Instagram. I know it can seem scary without your phone for an hour or so, but you can get there. It's really important. I want you to do it. Put your phone and your notifications on silent so that your unplugged time isn't interrupted by the constant pinging from your phone. Or bracket your phone and Internet time so you can focus on important tasks and take breaks. You can carve out specific time in your schedule. So that's the time that you focus on emails or answer texts or do social media or surf the Internet and leave big blocks of time where it's turned off so you can just focus, play, work, or just be. Next. I would suggest quitting tv. I know it sounds like a big deal, but try going without TV for a week. Television is this huge time suck that prevents us from doing the things we actually love to do. And it keeps us from accomplishing our goals. We quit TV for a week and guess what? Watch how much more time you have and you have time to cook and play and be active and have fun and be with your people and finally find something you love. When you don't feel excited about going to the gym, Netflix becomes pretty attractive. So it's important to find an activity that you actually love to do. You won't find me at the gym, but I love to do stuff. I love sports. I love to do adventures. I challenge my body and my mind. Find out what works for you. Find out something that you love so much you'd rather do it than sit in front of a screen. So now I want to hear from you. What are your favorite ways to unplug. Share them below in the comments section or on my Facebook page. And if you like this video, please share it on your social media. And be sure to submit your questions to drhyman.com and maybe next week I'll make a house call to you.