Disconnection, this modern-day Holy Grail, has become essential for our mental, physical, and emotional well-being. In a world where notifications pile up, meetings overflow, and our screens dictate the rhythm of our days, learning to disconnect is now a vital skill. Easier said than done? Not necessarily. Here are 5 concrete (and tested) tips to help you truly disconnect.
Schedule your disconnection like an important appointment
If you wait for the perfect moment to take a break, you might wait forever. Disconnection must be intentional. Block it in your calendar, just like a professional meeting. Whether it’s 30 minutes each evening or an entire weekend without screens, treat this time slot as a priority.
💡 Hack: Give it an inspiring name in your calendar: “Me-time Break,” “Vitamin Disconnect,” “Digital Detox.” It sounds simple, but it makes all the difference.
Turn off (really) all notifications
Not just Slack or WhatsApp… all of them. According to a University of California study, the brain takes 23 minutes to refocus after an interruption. Notifications fragment our attention and feed the illusion that we can never truly “get out of the flow.”
👉 Put your phone on “Do Not Disturb” mode or activate a “focus mode” if you’re on iOS or Android. And if you’re brave enough, leave it in another room for an hour.
Create a transition buffer
It’s hard to jump straight from “hyper-connected mode” to “total zen mode.” What you need is a transition buffer.
Examples:
- Listen to music without lyrics for 10 minutes.
- Walk for 15 minutes with no particular goal.
- Write down in a notebook 3 things you mentally leave behind before “unplugging.”
This little ritual allows your brain to understand that it can let go of the pressure.
Give your hands another role
Our hands have become the natural extensions of our screens. Regaining control also means giving them a tangible, non-digital role.
👉 Do some gardening, cook, draw, do DIY, play an instrument, touch textures, take a bath, shape clay… Whatever the activity, as long as it keeps your hands busy and away from the virtual world.
Let go of the guilt (because you are not a robot)
Let’s stop believing that taking a break is a waste of time. In reality, it’s quite the opposite.
According to a Microsoft study, after only 50 minutes of uninterrupted work, our brain starts to overheat, and the quality of our decisions declines. Disconnecting means gaining mental clarity, creativity, and energy.
So no, you are not running away from your responsibilities. You are honoring them with more awareness and efficiency.
Conclusion: Disconnecting is a muscle
You don’t become an expert at disconnecting overnight. It’s a practice to cultivate, like a sport, an art, or a discipline. Sometimes you’ll “relapse,” answering that email at 10 p.m., diving back into social media… That’s okay. What matters is coming back to yourself. Again. And again.
And you, what’s your best tip to really unplug?
