Finding Focus in a Digital World

The phrase “digital detox” tends to stir a little dread. Most of us picture restriction, deprivation, or guilt-tripping ourselves into a temporary fix we’ll abandon by Thursday. But what if stepping back from screens didn’t feel like punishment? What if it felt like relief?

A reset like this isn’t about rejecting technology or pretending life doesn’t happen online. It’s about softening your relationship with screens so you can hear yourself think again. It’s about quieting the noise long enough to notice your body, your mood, your relationships, all the things that often fade into the background behind a glowing screen.

I’m still finding my way with this topic, but I’ve learned enough to know how much being glued to a screen affects me. Every time I schedule focus time into my calendar and turn off notifications, I’m amazed by how much I get done. I feel calmer, clearer, and more capable.

Science tells us that every time we switch tasks, even for something as small as checking a message, it can take up to 20 minutes to get back into a state of focus. For someone with ADHD, I imagine that number is even higher. Our brains crave novelty, so each ping, buzz, and pop-up feels like an invitation we can’t resist.

Here’s how I’m learning to reset:

1. Name What You’re Craving (Not What You’re Quitting)

The first question I ask isn’t “How do I cut screen time?” It’s “What do I miss?”

Sometimes the answer is deeper sleep. Sometimes it’s a longer attention span or more patience with the people I love. That becomes the anchor, the reason I reach for something other than my phone when I have thirty quiet seconds to spare.

When you name your why, even small changes feel like they’re moving you toward something real.

2. Set a Curfew That Feels Like a Treat

I stop looking at screens about 90 minutes before I want to sleep. Not because I read it somewhere, but because I’ve felt what it does to my nervous system.

When I scroll in bed, I’m wired. I fall asleep late and wake up foggy. When I step away early and give myself space to read, wash my face without rushing, or sip something warm, my whole body starts to understand that it’s safe to relax.

3. Make Space That Doesn’t Invite Screens In

Not every room has to be screen-free, but I’ve chosen a few where they don’t belong: my bedroom, the kitchen table, and my favorite reading chair that faces the Alps.

There’s something powerful about letting physical space shape your habits. When I sit at that table, I talk to the people I’m with. When I curl up in that chair, I don’t reach for my phone out of reflex.

4. Fill the Gaps with Something Your Nervous System Likes

When screens disappear, time stretches. And that can feel uncomfortable at first. But instead of filling that space with productivity, I try to fill it with calm.

Things like:

• Cooking slowly without a podcast on.

• Taking a walk with no audio, just noticing.

• Writing something by hand.

• Letting music play while doing nothing else.

These moments aren’t substitutes for scrolling. They’re something entirely different, a way to give my mind and body what they’ve quietly been asking for all along.

5. Let It Evolve Instead of Forcing a Rule

After a few days, I check in with myself. Has my sleep deepened? Am I snapping less? Do my mornings feel more spacious? If I feel better, I keep going. If it feels too rigid, I loosen the edges.

This isn’t a challenge. It’s a relationship with my time, my energy, and my attention. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s noticing what helps me feel human again.

Screens aren’t the enemy. But when they take up every open space in the day, something else gets pushed out. Rest. Intuition. Creativity. Presence. And those are the very things that bring us back to ourselves.

Where could you create a little more space from your screen this week?