The smartphone cleanse: A 7-day guide to a digital detox

The invention of smartphones has become a double-edged sword for many Americans. On one hand, their useful tools have made life easier, but on the flip side, they have become a massive distraction for many.

According to a new study, smartphones are not only deteriorating face-to-face time, they’re also causing more disorganization than ever before. Nearly half of parents polled by a Wakefield Research study said they have missed snapping an important photo or video of a key moment in their child’s life because their phone didn’t have enough storage space.

Additionally, 60% of Americans say they can’t wait even one minute to check a notification on their phone because it causes them stress. Meanwhile, more than half of millennials (52%) said they can’t even go to sleep knowing they have an unread notification on their phone.

Deb Lee, a digital productivity coach, says it’s time for people to stop and rethink their relationship with their device before it’s too late.

Lee teamed up with Xfinity Mobile to launch, “The Phone Cleanse: A Modern Guide to Improve Your Mobile Well-Being,” to educate people on how to best use their devices.

Here’s Lee’s 7-day guide to digitally detoxing your smartphone.

Pre-Cleanse

Let your friends know that your mobile habits will be a little unusual this week.

Day One

“The App Purge”: Delete 10 apps. Right now.

Day Two

“Gray for a Day”: Say goodbye to color and put your phone in grayscale.

Day Three

“The 24-Hour Notification Fast”: Turn off ALL notifications, including texts and emails for an entire day.

Day Four

“The Storage War”: Free up storage by clearing five gigabytes of media, including photos, videos and texts.

Day Five

“The 60-Minute Rule”: Only check your phone once an hour and when you do look at it, limit your time. (The max is 10 minutes.)

Day Six

“Sleep Separation”: After setting your alarm before bed, put your phone completely out of reach and don’t touch it again until the morning.

Day Seven

“The Minimalist Home Screen”: Clear your home screen of every app. Leave only text, email and your phone in your tools, and put everything else in a single folder on your second page.