Technology is great for a lot of things: tracking our fitness levels, navigating a new city, stalking exes. But more people than ever are at risk of becoming a screen slave. All the more reason for a digital detox, then. Defined as a period of time when a person refrains from smartphones, televisions, computers, tablets, and social media sites, the benefits are endless: better sleep, improved, more consistent moods, increased brain function. Basically, you’ll be a better human. Before you log off, here’s how to go about it.

 

Better Mental Health

It's easy to forget, but mental health is just as important as physiological fitness. Though there's no treadmill for the mind, one simple way to improve it is by putting yourself on a digital diet. According to research in the Journal of Depression and Anxiety, whiling away all your spare time on social media only increases your chances of low moods, while the Journal of Website Promotion found that consuming too many #selfies can eat into your self-esteem. To fix this, try setting a daily limit for certain apps. The aim being to put an end to the mindless scrolling, so you can make time for the things that actually matter. 

 

Better Sleep

Good sleep matters. It matters so much, in fact, that without it we die. So keeping devices out of the bedroom to get a better night's kip shouldn't be a hard sell. It's well-known that the blue light emitted by screens keeps you up, decreasing the body's natural production of melatonin, the hormone that makes you feel tired. So instead of a late-night scroll through Trump's latest tweets, pick up a book or take part in a bit of mindfulness. Even better, before hitting the hay apply a few drops of Apothem's Lights Out CBD oil, which is hailed for its calming, anxiety-reducing abilities. 

 

Better Physical Health

One of the main problems of overusing technology is that it requires us to be stationary. Whether it's playing video games, scrolling on your phone or watching something on your laptop, these activities often require us to sit, or sometimes lay, down. And you don't need to be a doctor to know that's not good news. The appropriately named Journal of Behavioural Addictions uncovered a link between smartphone addiction and those with poor physical health. So the next time you consider loading up Instagram, go for a run or try a home workout. You'll likely feel all the better for it.  

 

Better Posture

Your head weighs a lot. So it's little surprise that excessive phone use has been linked to back pain and poor posture. Writing in The Journal of Physical Therapy Science, experts discovered that subjects who regularly crane their neck over a screen suffer from everything from hunched shoulders to respiratory difficulties. Keeping your phone in your pocket while you walk will not only make you less annoying to other pedestrians, but you'll also likely walk more upright. Damage already done? Utilise heat therapy with a product like Eurosport's No Hands Muscle Release, which soothes and restores the body back to its optimal state. 

 

Improved Brain Function

We all know that Facebook is rotting our minds and that no one ever won a Noble prize playing Angry Birds, but even the presence of a smartphone could be reducing your brainpower. A study by the University of Texas found that keeping your phone in another room, as opposed to on your desk or in your pocket, significantly increases cognitive ability and attention span. Suddenly that new language doesn't seem so out of reach. You can give your noggin another boost with Akt's natural deodorant, which includes eucalyptus - an essential oil shown to increase blood circulation to the brain. Smarty pits.

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