Lifehack Challenge: 24 Hour Digital Fast

April 6 by Seth Simonds | 38 comments | Lifehack, Technology |

Are you too connected? Have you handed too much time over to ever-present technological marvels that offer charming reasons to take up every moment of your life? If you,

Reach for your phone the moment you wake up
Check your email while still working on a reply
Have ever silenced your child or ignored a loved one’s voice so you could pay attention to “internet friends”
Can’t go more than 30 seconds of silence without breaking out a mobile device

There’s a good chance you might be suffering from over-connectedness. What’s the solution? For many, a little time away from the madness is all it takes to regain a healthy perspective and jump back in with a smile.

That’s where this Lifehack Challenge comes in.

This is a challenge for you to go on a 24 hour digital fast. What’s that? You take 24 hours and spend it completely free of the electronic devices that take up your every waking moment.

Unlike the Early Riser challenge that lasted for 5 days, the digital fast is only 24 hours. This will work best because most people can disappear for 24 hours without a remote contact even wondering about them. You’ll be able to take 24hrs for yourself and not even worry about going through all the work of letting your contacts know what’s happening.

Why would you want to do such a thing? Because you’re wondering if you can. Even better, you’ve already decided that you can and simply needed a little push to make it happen. That’s what the community here at Lifehack can provide for you: a little push. We’ll be here before and after, but during your digital fast it’s just going to be you and the people you spend time with face to face.

Still interested?

Here’s how it works.

Choose either the 10th, or 11th of this month (April) as the day for your digital fast.
Tell some of your friends what you’re going to do. The social pressure of telling others can often prove helpful in bringing about change. Want a little extra pressure (and encouragement)? Join us on Facebook or leave a comment below saying you’re in!
Plan ahead for what you’ll do with all the extra time you’re going to have. It’s important that you stay busy when you’ve been accustomed to checking your iPhone constantly!

So, pick your day, let us know one of the things you plan to do with your digital-free day, and come find us on Facebook where I’ll be sharing extra tips and thoughts from my experience with breaking free of the need to be constantly on.

Welcome! Now it’s time to set you free, at least for a day, from all those devices that drive you nuts.

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http://www.thegavinshow.com Gavin

This is an awesome idea. I do one of these every few months, and I emerge feeling recharged and refreshed. Sure, it’s completely psychological, but it’s great.

Can we participate as a group? Sometimes it’s fun to unplug with friends.
http://bursatakip.com Bursa Haber

nice post thanx
http://myoddfamily.com/about/ Katybeth Jensen

I don’t want to turn off. I love being connected. Sure I shhh my kid sometime…so what. He benefits from a mom who can take him with a friend to the beach during the day because I can also accomplish a few business tasks. He does not need every moment of my time to feel loved and heard.
Why is this an issue? Those who feel the need should disconnect, and those who don’t should check there Facebook status…and we can all get along.
Boris

Is that the holocaust memorial in that photo?
timgray

I tend to do this every Saturday It’s me and my engines,cars,bikes in the garage no internet, no phone, only tunes blaring at 102db the smell of gasoline and me dirty.

But then I’m the guy that tells work that if they call me after I leave they wont get a response until I turn the phone back on in the morning. If they want 24/7 contact with me then they can pay me on-call pay…

Step 1 is to understand that you are in complete control, you are the master of even your boss when it comes to your time. My Saturdays, people have to beg me to allow them to intrude.

Step 2 is to exert control over your time. Yes that means not checking in on forsquare at every place you go. In fact saturdays after garage time my wife and I will go out without cellphones (phones left in the car off)
http://pmhacks.cm Mike Polson

Excellent Idea! I’ve penciled in the 11th as my off-the-grid / disconnected day!
http://cashwithatrueconscience.com/rbblog Ryan

Ahhh attachments. I’ve fasted a few days recently – digitially speaking – Easter was the last. No phone or computer. It’s a purifying feeling, just like a normal fast.
http://mrsnic.wordpress.com Kate

I think this is a fantastic idea. You can count me in for the 10th! As wonderful as the internet is, I find myself getting so wrapped up in other people’s blogs that I forget to go live my own life. A break for the weekend sounds like a perfect plan.
Seth Simonds

@Gavin – Of course! That’s the idea. =)

@Katybeth – The lady doth protest too much?

@Boris – It apparently was. Good catch.
http://abundance-blog.marelisa-online.com/2010/03/21/habits-highly-effective-people/ Marelisa

I keep telling myself that I should keep a Secular Sabbath once a week, every week–no computer and absolutely no work–but, to be honest, I’m not doing it. The last time I was disconnected was over New Years since I was at my father’s beach house and there’s no internet connection there. Maybe this weekend I should head back there. :-)
Rose

I’d love to do this, unfortunately with the sheer amount of University work I have to do at the moment spending a day without my laptop (research, essay writing etc) is literally impossible. However seeing as I spend almost all of my day refusing to let people contact me (I don’t answer email/texts/phone calls unless they’re urgent) then I’m halfway there. I’d definitely like to try this in the summer though :)
http://www.jeremynoeljohnson.com Jeremy Johnson

I almost think this would be harder than going without food for 24 hours for me. Good thought.
http://wheremy.feethavebeen.com Angelo R.

I tend to spend Saturdays away from my computer. It’s not that I feel the need to be disconnected, it’s just that it’s nice to spend a day wandering around. During the winter we still end up in doors, but museums, art gallerys and even the movies are great. Plus there’s normally time for an extra nap, which is always nice.

However, I have to admit that forcing yourself to take the day off doesn’t quite work as expected. You end up sitting around all nervous, and occasionally you cave and then end up feeling bad about it.

I’d definitely have to suggest trying it occasionally though….
http://nihonshock.com Lloyd Vincent

This sounds like an excellent idea. I’m gonna do it this Saturday (10th) and see what happens!

Might just leave my iPhone at home and go someplace.
http://www.JimAntony.com Jimmy

This is an awesome idea. My cellphone is the hardest one to let go of.
http://alokmishra.in Alok

Its a good idea Seth, but I doubt if people will be willing to buy it. I mean we are so connected now, it would feel like going to the dark ages for a day! Nevertheless, I can try it, one day doesn’t seem much harm to me
http://nuclearrainbow.wordpress.com Nuclear Rainbow

Hmm, the fact that I am sleeping at a B&B at the 9th, and at a friend at the 10th will probably also mean that I’ll be without internet or laptop at the 10th of april.
But doing this without having to put in the effort feels like not really doing this challenge.

Also: “internet friends” in “”-thingies? That sounds… judgemental…
People you’ve met online can be real friends, it just takes a bit longer to get to the level as friends you meet irl, but for the rest there are no differences (wrote my bachelor thesis on the topic of online friends a few years ago).
The T

Recently I did an experiment that was similar. I decided to not use my TV or computer for one week, when I was at home. The benefits are amazing:

- you get more stuff done
- your mind is less cluttered, it really cleans your mind
- you plan more social activities and see friends more often
- more time for reading
- your home will look much neater (more time to tidy up)
- you sleep more

Since I have to use the computer at work, I chose to have the ‘digital fast’ at home. I did use my phone though, but mainly to make calls.
http://twitter.com/simohaf Simo

This seems like something I need to do .. but unfortunately, the 10th and 11th aren’t good days for me .. I’ll try to do it on the 9th. Actually, the 11th I might be disconnected by chance cuz I’ve got a lot of things going on that day :D but I will actively try to be disconnected on the 9th :)
http://www.lifetoolkit.net Maria

Isn’t the thought scary? To be “TOO connected”?

I guess the irony here is that we’re TOO connected, but little IN TOUCH. With ourselves, with our loved ones.

I would up the ante a bit more, and say in addition to the digital fast, do a physical get together time. Be out of touch with the internet, but in touch with the real people around you.
How about that?
I’m gonna do this on Saturday.
http://markharrison.wordpress.com Mark Harrison

I’m in… though in my case by default :-)

I check my email about twice a month, and facebook/twitter about once every three months.

I USED to check email about every 15 minutes, and Facebook/Twitter several times a day, then I realised how much time it was wasting, how it wasn’t ACTUALLY helping my work life, and how little it was actually making me happy compared to doing projects I wanted to.

I’m a 39-year old IT consultant, a non-Exec Director of a couple of startups, and a father of two.

It took about 3 months to get my clients used to working with me like this – but I finally made them realise that either something was important enough for them to phone me about… or it could wait…

My children are at the age where they can cope with daddy not being in the house, but can’t cope with the idea that daddy is in the house but not able to spend time with them.
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http://www.peterxpark.com Peter X Park

Hmm, well I’ve done meditation retreats where I’ve been socially and digitally disconnected. It’s pretty nice as a techie to get away sometimes. Although it’s very difficult since my job relies on me being connected 6 days/week.

I’ll take part on April 11, Sunday. Should be easy since I’ll be driving to see my family anyway.
http://www.superawesomedating.com super awesome

Part of me wants to unplug, but the other part of me knows that as technology evolves we will become more connected.
http://www.sentril.com New York City

Wow! this would be extremely difficult but there are times when I feel like I need to disconnect.
Abbe Lougee

OK, I admit to being a computer/Internet addict and a software junkie. Much of my online time is spent looking for cool new indie software to play with — I’m really going to miss that, even just 24 hours. Is it fair to tell people in advance that we’ll be disconnected and not to call us?

Seth Simonds

Seems fair to me!

http://nevertooserious.wordpress.com Christopher

This is an awesome idea, I am always checking Twitter and Facebook and GoogleReader – just in case something interesting comes up – that it is getting in the way of doing anything actually productive, like writing my novel.

So, count me in for the 11th. I shall be writing (longhand, of course), working in the garden with my family and cooking them dinner. Looking forward to it!
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Tania

I’m sorry but if someone needs to ‘schedule’ a time to disconnect, you’re probably too connected anyway. If you’re neglecting you family because of a device, you might need contact a counselor–not a Lifehack.

As for me, this would be great for people who don’t work 7 days a week and aren’t telecommuters. Doesn’t work so well for those of us who are.
http://nihonshock.com Lloyd Vincent

Okay so I tried this last Saturday. I took a pretty extreme interpretation so I didn’t even use the lights in my apartment. Boiled water for my morning coffee on the gas stove, showered in the dark.

The biggest surprise was just how much time there actually is in the day when I’m not spending 1 out of every 3 minutes fiddling with my iPhone.

Might make this a monthly habit!
Pingback: What’s so charming about computing? | Zerebria
http://www.myspace.com/meli.jo Meli

I’m already worried that my son has too much screen time — between his father, grandmother and I — and he’s only 3 months old. I’m thinking the best way to ensure he doesn’t let mind-numbing internet and TV take over, is to set an example! (I haven’t gotten around to buying a new cell phone yet for a reason, and have vowed only to do so when it’s necessary). I’m making it a new goal to do this at least 2x a month, and to limit my use on days I do use the tv and internet, too. It’s time better spent helping my baby to discover the world! :)
http://www.udtek.com laptop ac adapter

this would be extremely difficult
http://www.seospidy.com Seospidy

Amazing post Thanks
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http://mohanarun.com Mohan Arun L.

‘regain a healthy perspective’? What could possibly be un-healthy about being ‘connected’? When electricity first came by, people saw it as unhealthy. Now there is connectedness.