A troubling study of mental health and brain development in United States kids found that high or addictive use of screen time was associated with poorer mental health, when compared with kids who used screens at a “low” to moderate rate. Children and teens with addictive screen behaviors were two to three times more likely to:

• Think about suicide
• Attempt suicide
• Have other mental health issues

Of course, since kids’ brains are still developing, these statistics have caught our society’s attention. But it isn’t just kids or teens who are at risk for mental health problems related to overuse of digital media. Excessive screen time in adults leads to thinning of the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain responsible for:

• Memory
• Decision-making
• Problem-solving

Our expert counselors at The Soho Center for Mental Health Counseling are aware of the addictive properties of social media and digital screens that work to capture your attention for as long as possible. 

At our offices in Greenwich Village, New York City, or through HIPAA-compliant teletherapy, we offer cognitive behavior therapy and other treatments to help you break the digital habit.

How can you take a digital detox? Here are some first steps, and why they’re so important to your mental health.

What’s at stake

You recognize that you spend a lot of time staring at your phone. What isn’t as easy to recognize is how that screen time — which algorithms are trained to make you extend for as long as possible — affects your brain. Even excess TV watching (i.e., five hours or more per day) can cause dangerous changes in your brain, such as: 

• Reduce gray matter
• Thin the cerebral cortex
• Throw off your circadian clock

Research has revealed that excessive screen time raises your risk for Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, too. 

Why you should do a digital detox

It’s hard to break a digital habit, even when you know it’s harming your health. Screens are designed to grab your attention through constant notifications, algorithms that feed you the next video, or clickbait titles that pique your curiosity.

But, as with any addiction, once you break free of the addictive habit, you begin to heal. Take your detox slowly, gradually break your dependence, and find healthier new habits to replace the old, addictive ones.

Step one: Don’t look at your phone in the morning

The blue light from a phone screen, as well as the proximity of the images, triggers your body’s fight-or-flight response: That isn’t the way you want to start your day. Looking at your phone as soon as you wake up is training your brain to be hypervigilant. Instead, replace the phone habit with something more nurturing, such as:

• Meditating
• Making a gratitude list
• Getting out into the morning sun
• Exercising — particularly outdoors

Morning sunlight helps set your circadian clock so you can sleep better. Moreover, it helps your body create vitamin D. Resist the urge to pick up your phone for the first hour of the morning. News and alerts will still be there after you’ve had time to awaken naturally. 

Step two: Don’t use your phone at night

The other crucial time to avoid phone use is at night, when your body needs to wind down and produce melatonin to help you fall asleep. The phone’s — or TV’s — blue light signals your brain through your eyes that it’s daytime, not nighttime.

Use apps on your phone and laptop that turn the light yellow, instead of blue. Consider using amber or red glasses at night that further mimic the sun’s natural descent in the sky.

If watching TV (nothing too troubling or exciting) helps you to relax at night, put on your amber glasses to reduce the blue light. As soon as possible after sundown, set your phone in airplane mode to avoid constant notifications and distractions. 

You need to wind down, not get fired up. Replace your phone habit with other, brain-friendly activities, such as gratitude journaling, nighttime yoga, or conversations with loved ones. 

Step three: Tell your friends and family

Let your loved ones know that you’re detoxing from a digital habit. Warn them that you might not respond to their emails, voicemails, or texts at night or first thing in the morning. Share the benefits with others. Enlist a good friend or loved one to detox with you. 

And, if giving up your phone for a couple of hours a day seems like too much, give us a call (while your phone is on). Counseling and even substance abuse therapies can help you replace unhelpful habits with healthy ones.

Give us a call or book an online appointment at our Greenwich Village, New York City office or via HIPAA-compliant teletherapy sessions for a digital detox today.