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This week’s B ME Bites Trivia Question:

Welcome to edition #36 of B ME Bites! In Part 5 of the Self-Care for Busy People Series, explore quick digital detox tips to boost focus, reduce stress, and support better health.

Self-Care for Busy People Part 5: 7 Simple Ways to Do a Mini Digital Detox for Better Health

Quick and effective tips to reduce screen time and support your health and wellbeing

In today’s fast-paced, tech-driven world, screens are an unavoidable part of life. While technology can make life more efficient, constant digital engagement can take a toll on health, contributing to stress, sleep disturbances, and reduced focus. Taking brief digital detoxes throughout the day can help reset the mind, boost mental clarity, and promote better health. Here’s how to incorporate mini digital detoxes into your busy schedule.

Create Device-Free Zones

Designate certain areas as device-free, such as the dining table or bedroom. By keeping screens out of these spaces, you create opportunities to connect with yourself or others and improve overall wellbeing. This simple habit can also support better sleep when applied to the bedroom.

Use Scheduled Breaks to Unplug

Set a timer to take short breaks from screens during the day. Even a 5-minute break every hour to step away from devices, stretch, or practise deep breathing can reduce eye strain and improve focus. These breaks act as mini resets, helping to combat fatigue and boost mental clarity.

Try the 20-20-20 Rule for Eye Health

Staring at screens for long periods can strain your eyes. The 20-20-20 rule offers a simple solution: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 metres, away for 20 seconds. This habit helps relax the eyes, reduce discomfort, and maintain focus over the long term.

Practise a Morning or Evening Tech-Free Ritual

Start or end your day with a tech-free routine. Spend 5 minutes in the morning journaling, stretching, or meditating before reaching for your phone. In the evening, try reading a book or practising gratitude to unwind without the interference of screens. The 4,5,3,2,1 Sleep Hygiene Routine can help with this.

Use Apps to Track and Limit Screen Time

Ironically, technology can help you detox from technology. Use apps that track screen time or block social media during certain hours to create more mindful habits. This awareness can encourage healthier screen use and lead to better focus throughout the day.

Get Outside for a Digital Reset

A short walk outdoors without your phone can do wonders for mental health. Exposure to natural light and fresh air reduces stress, clears the mind, and boosts overall wellbeing. Even 5 minutes away from screens can leave you feeling refreshed and more focused.

Set a “Tech-Free Hour” to Recharge

Designate one hour each day to step away from all screens—phones, computers, and even TVs. Use this time to engage in activities that nourish your body and mind, like reading, journaling, cooking, or spending time with loved ones, which will still give you a dopamine hit as well as a host of other benefits. This intentional break helps reduce overstimulation, promotes better sleep, and gives your brain a chance to reset, enhancing both mental clarity and overall wellbeing.

Taking mini digital detoxes isn’t about eliminating technology entirely—it’s about creating balance. By making small, intentional breaks from screens, it’s possible to improve focus, sleep, and overall health in a sustainable way.

How will you incorporate a digital detox into your day this week?

Reader Spotlight

Natasha left the following review after reading “Fat to Fabulous: Diet Free Weight Loss for Real Women”:

You can find out more about this book here.

Weekly Challenge

Your mission for this week, if you choose to accept it, is to do the following:

Take at least one mini digital detox on at least 3 days over the next week. Whether it’s a 5-minute break, a device-free walk, or a tech-free bedtime ritual, notice how stepping away from screens improves your focus and wellbeing.

If you need some help, feel free to hit reply - let’s help you get started if you’re stuck!

B ME Bites is deliberately sent on a Friday morning (Aussie time) so that where ever you are in the world, you have the weekend to give yourself the gift of implementing a small change towards a better you. What will that small change be? Is there a change that you have been trying to make and haven’t yet succeeded? Give it another go, applying the above - you can do it!

Resource Roundup

Here’s a “Kwik” 6 minute video from Jim Kwik and Jay Shetty with some great tips - remember you can change the playback speed to make it even “Kwiker”:

You can find Jim Kwik’s Best Selling book Limitless on Amazon.

See the powerful effects of a digital detox on the brain with before-and-after scans in this video with Dr Daniel Amen and Best Selling Author Carlos Whittaker:

For expert tips on creating a healthier relationship with technology, explore Dr. Frank Lipman’s article on mindbodygreen:

Below is a resource list that has been created with you in mind. Whenever something new that could be helpful is discovered or created, it’s added to the list, so check it out from time to time. If you’re strapped for time, once you open the page below, click on Resource List in the top menu, then click on the “Health Tools” link for a list of items that could be helpful on your path to a better you.

The answer to this week’s trivia question is:

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Hit reply and answer either 1,2 or 3, and, if the answer is 2 or 3, give the deets on what would make it a 1 for you!:

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Until next week, keep taking one S.T.E.P.S step at a time! (If you missed the issue explaining The S.T.E.P.S Formula, you can check that out here)

Warm regards,

Shari Ware Chief Encouragement Officer at B ME Bites

PS - Here’s a little Friday funny for you!

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