Digital Sabbaticals: The Retreat Your Brain Needs

In the midst of an overwhelming work day, do you find yourself wishing you could throw your phone and laptop out the window and retreat to a cabin in the woods, Walden-style? While it may be impossible to spend two years in the solitude of the forest like Henry David Thoreau, you can still embrace long periods of digital disconnection and personal reconnection via the digital sabbatical.
When you decide to embark on a digital sabbatical, you take a conscious break from all or most digital devices to reset your mind and reduce screen-induced stress. Due to reports of improved mental clarity, enhanced work productivity, or heightened presence in relationships, the digital sabbatical is growing in popularity this year for people fed up with the constant hum of distractions and stress.
But how is it possible to even take a digital sabbatical when your job requires you to sit at a computer each day? With a bit of planning and some handy tools, a digital sabbatical is within reach of anyone.
Digital Sabbatical vs. Digital Detox
You may be wondering, isn’t a digital sabbatical the same thing as a digital detox? There’s a slight difference between the two:
A digital detox advocates for a short-term reduction in screen use, and focuses on altering specific habits, like taking a week-long detox from social media.
Meanwhile, a digital sabbatical embraces a long-term, comprehensive retreat from your digital devices, removing any non-essential digital apps, sites, or devices from your life. Some people may permanently delete social media, or make a rule to live their weekends without screens.
A digital sabbatical involves structured planning that leads to lasting behavioral changes. The result? Deeper mental rest and reflection that helps you focus on what really matters.
Why Digital Sabbaticals Are Important
Studies show that the brain actually struggles to multitask; switching between tasks tires it out more quickly, draining our attention span, critical thinking, and decision-making skills.Taking a digital sabbatical can lead to a plethora of health benefits for your mind, body, and emotions.
Without the constant hum of notifications, you may begin noticing a dip in your anxiety and an increase in your ability to focus. When you stop scrolling before bedtime, you’ll notice improved sleep patterns and less headaches from screen fatigue.
If you’ve noticed your productivity at work faltering, a digital sabbatical can refresh your ability to focus, so you can finish your projects on-time and deliver higher quality work. In his book Digital Minimalism, author Cal Newport advocates that we reject nonessential digital technology and enjoy more presence, productivity, and connection.
Newport references author Henry David Thoreau’s experiment in solitude living at Walden pond as inspiration for digital sabbaticals. As Thoreau removed himself from the noise of daily life, he was able to align his daily life with personal goals, and enjoy a more creatively focused life.
Digital sabbaticals can offer the same for the modern person looking to improve their productivity, concentration, or attention span.
The 30-Day Digital Declutter
Newport suggests removing optional digital technologies from your life for one month in what he calls the “30-Day Digital Declutter.” Newport defines “technologies” as “apps, websites, and related digital tools that are delivered through a computer screen or a mobile phone and are meant to either entertain, inform, or connect you.”
The results are transformative: participants rediscovered passions, increased work focus, and felt more fulfillment and life satisfaction. As we step away from technology that causes ‘brain rot,’ we can look at its role in our lives from a different perspective.
“This strategy is classic digital minimalism. By removing your ability to access social media at any moment, you reduce its ability to become a crutch deployed to distract you from bigger voids in your life,” Newport writes.
Have you ever spent a weekend camping or a day out on a hike and returned home mentally refreshed? This is no coincidence: the brain needs downtime, and being in nature removes the need to multitask, allowing your brain’s cognitive function to recharge. So what will it take for you to plan a sabbatical to take back your attention and focus?
How to Plan a Successful Digital Sabbatical
- Step 1: Define Clear Goals
- Determine why you want to unplug from your devices. Would you like to focus on a creative project, connect with your partner, or simply relax? Any reason is a great one.
- Step 2: Establish Boundaries
- Turn off notifications for Slack, Instagram, and all your main distractions.
- Let colleagues, friends, and family know that you’ll be away from certain apps on particular hours or days. Giving them a heads-up will let them know only to contact you in case of emergency.
- Define clear time periods when you’ll allow yourself to check essential digital devices, like phone calls or emails.
- Step 3: Create a Non-Digital Schedule
- Write up your main daily priorities in the morning via a short to-do list, your journal, or your planner. This grounds your intentions for the day.
- Decide how you’d like to fill your free time with “analog activities.” Maybe you could crack open a book, take a ceramics class, scribble in your sketchbook, practice mindfulness meditations, or try a new cake recipe. Ideally you’re seeking hobbies that promote creativity and relaxation.
- Step 4: Start Small
- Don’t try to quit your nonessential digital devices cold turkey. Start short and sweet, like a weekend, before you attempt a longer break.
- Once you successfully complete a weekend sabbatical, add an extra day bit by bit.
- Step 5: Use Freedom To Stay On Track
- Freedom is a digital wellness software that allows you to block off distracting apps and websites at hours of your choosing.
- You can create customizable blocklists and schedule your block sessions at the key hours you’d like to be away from your devices.
- You can sync Freedom to multiple digital devices like your phone, tablet, or computer to remain consistent with your goals.
- Freedom has a special Locked Mode for advanced users that prevents you from exiting or editing live sessions to maintain commitment during the sabbatical.
Tips for Maintaining Benefits Post-Sabbatical
Once you’ve finished your digital sabbatical, avoid being sucked back into your digital devices and overwhelming distractions. Ideally, the sabbatical has helped you find some fresh perspective and awareness around your digital usage. Maintain mindful digital habits by utilizing daily screen-free hours with the help of Freedom.
Continue refining your goals surrounding time and focus, and adjust your screen time habits as you see fit. You’ll be able to enjoy longer periods of mental clarity, creativity, and productivity sooner than you think.
Ready to unplug? Download Freedom to start your digital sabbatical now!
Written by Lorena Bally