Recently, as opportunities to use the Internet, e-mail, and social media are increasing at work, many people will feel uncomfortable because work-related e-mails arrive outside of business hours. In the midst of this, Digital Detox, which cuts off the use of smartphones and PCs for a certain period of time, is gaining popularity. What do you need to prepare for this?
Going on vacation is necessary to avoid burnout, and it can be a relaxing time for reading and relaxing at home. It has been pointed out for a long time that connecting to a digital device for a long time gives a disadvantage to the mind and body. There is also a study result that people who use a smartphone for work reasons after 21:00 are tired at work the next day. A 2017 study found that connecting with digital devices had a negative effect on work stress, the sense of overwork, and job satisfaction.
Therefore, it is argued that digital detox, which blocks work-related contact as much as possible, away from digital devices such as smartphones and laptops, is more valuable than simply enjoying a vacation. Digital detox gives time to liberate the mind and body from the stress of work, attention to various things, and alertness to customers, colleagues, and bosses, and is beneficial to the body and mind.
However, it is not a matter of suddenly rejecting any means of communication. If you want to practice digital detox for your co-workers or yourself, you need meticulous preparation. Digital detox is the best gift you can give yourself, and believes that it is refreshing and gives you an advantage when you return to work.
To implement a digital detox, you first need to make it clear that you will not be able to respond to calls during this vacation to people who may be contacting you while you are away, such as co-workers or business associates. It is also important to notify only urgent agendas during the vacation period and to ask them to delay the plans after the vacation if possible.
Of course, just because you take a break doesn’t mean you can take a break from all related work. So, before taking your digital detox vacation, you should check your email or calendar to predict what might happen when you’re away, and postpone what you can. Also, if you need to deal with your absence, you should ask a trusted colleague for support and create a situation where you can’t reach yourself.
Even with these actions, the anxiety that an emergency that needs to be dealt with while you are away may arise. It is also a good idea to have a trusted representative of their own and give them the means to contact them only in case of a real emergency. Choosing a representative from among team members makes it easier to make decisions in case of an emergency.
To practice digital detox, it is also important to be prepared when you return to work. Thinking about the chaos of returning to the office after a few days of disconnection can sap your energy for a digital detox. But when you get back to work, you can deal with this anxiety by taking a planned approach.
First, arrange with your agent or team member about any issues that may arise when you are away, so that you can quickly access high-priority information when you return to work. You should also arrange a meeting with your agent and team members as early as possible on the day you return to work.
In addition, it may be necessary to set aside 3 to 5 hours a day for the first week after returning from digital detox to review problems that occurred during absence. On the first day of your digital detox return, it is better to send emails or problem handling that you have missed rather than responding to new calls from outside.
The point is that no one expects to work as hard as they used to from the first day of their digital detox return. It is necessary in the long digital detox return to think that it is natural to lower the obstacles within yourself and not be able to complete the task list perfectly from the first day of return. Related information can be found here.