When your job is to follow trends on social media or keep up with changing tech, you may find it even more difficult than others to unplug on the weekends. If you often find yourself spending too much of your free weekend time doomscrolling and thinking “I wish I was doing something better with my life right now”—try a digital detox.
A wireless Sunday reset routine is a great opportunity to get started. Motivate yourself to get off the couch, put your phone and tablet down, and achieve some of the non-digital goals you’ve set for yourself. A planned reset routine will help you get ready for the week ahead. Plus, it’s an expert-approved way to refresh your mind and avoid or cope with the “Sunday scaries”.
First Things First—Put Down the Phone
The first step to a digital detox is always the hardest: putting your phone or tablet down and closing your laptop. Keep in mind: a digital detox can free you from negative thoughts and allow you to make time for exercise, healthy eating choices, and actual social time with loved ones.
Before continuing, take a second and run a finger along the pinky where your phone rests. Do you feel a dent? That’s a good sign it’s time to work in some breaks. Luckily, it’s not permanent, and you can alleviate it by doing occasional digital detoxes.
Invest in a paper-bound journal or grab a spiral notebook to document your reset routine without a phone or computer. Not only is this one of the best tips to tap into your creativity, but it will also help you with a digital detox. Create a list of how you’ll achieve your digital detox and the tasks that will keep you from even thinking about your phone all day.
How to Design a Sunday Reset Routine
Creating a Sunday reset specifically for your digital detox can be done in four simple steps:
1. Evaluate
Take the time before your Sunday reset to analyze what goals you’d like to achieve throughout your digital detox day. What’s your main objective for your reset?
If you want to clear your mind, try a workout or outdoor activity that keeps you centered and distracted from your phone. Taking a break, like taking a walk and spending some time outside, is one of the tips to avoid burnout when working from home, and it can also help you with a digital detox or Sunday reset.
2. Plan
Now that you know what you’d like to accomplish during your Sunday reset, it’s time to plan your day around it. Try to apply the 1-3-5 rule by scheduling out one big task, three medium tasks, and five small tasks that you want to accomplish throughout the day. For example, your day could look like this:
- 1 Big Task: Meal prep for the week.
- 3 Medium Tasks: Get a workout in, go grocery shopping, and watch a movie.
- 5 Small Tasks: Fold laundry, change the light bulb, tidy up your home office desk, take a shower, and sort through (physical) mail.
Remember that not all tasks have to be chores! After all, your wireless Sunday reset routine should be relaxing as well.
Pro tip: To minimize the temptation of picking up your phone mid-day, set your phone on Do Not Disturb or airplane mode.
3. Reset
Make sure that you approach your digital detox reset with intentionality and purpose. Ensure that the goals you set for yourself are achievable but also beneficial. The last thing you want is to stress yourself out more during your Sunday reset routine. After all, your weekends are a crucial time to recharge and prevent burnout.
4. Rest
Give yourself grace once you have accomplished all of your goals. Finish your Sunday with a relaxing activity that brings you comfort and joy. Snuggle with your pet, take a long shower, or call a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while. Building this rest into your schedule is helpful if you need to recover from burnout as it recharges you and prepares you to face the upcoming week.
Creating a Sunday reset routine centered around a social media or digital detox can be really beneficial when curbing the Sunday scaries. Center yourself and your mind, and make long-term investments in your health to hold yourself accountable.