4 Business Benefits of a Digital Detox

Digital devices are a lifeline for entrepreneurs and business owners to connect, market, buy, sell and collaborate in a global world. Emerging technology like ChatGPT allows you to work faster and more efficiently, scaling your company in exciting new ways.

But… there’s always a but. Hyperconnected culture creates "technostress”—a form of occupational stress resulting from using mobile devices, the internet and social media. You know the signs: It becomes harder to step away. The struggle to separate your work and personal life sucks you dry. Research is still limited, but evidence suggests technostress can cause headaches, cardiovascular problems, mood changes, fatigue, anxiety, emotional exhaustion, concentration problems, family conflict, decreased productivity, burnout and higher turnover levels. Yep. All because of technostress. Some people call it techno-invasion.

The solution is simple, right? Just put down the devices. But despite a myriad of un-fun symptoms, you can’t seem to step away from the screens. Fear, anxiety, control, busyness, you name it, keep you glued to your devices. I just need to do one more thing for my business… darn those addictive little pings of dopamine…How is it 2 a.m. already…

What if a digital detox—a chance to reduce or eliminate the use of digital devices and technology while focusing on regulating your nervous system—could help remedy all that? What if it could positively impact your products and services way more than a viral reel or five-star review? Sound too good to be true? It’s not. Here are 4 ways that a digital detox can benefit your business. Prepare to be surprised.

Benefit 1: A Digital Detox Helps You Trust Your Inner Boss.

As an entrepreneur, you often have to “trust your gut.” But what if you can’t trust your gut anymore? Adrenaline, cortisol, higher levels of stress hormones and a host of micro-interruptions have hijacked our bodies’ natural responses. You’ve probably seen studies that posit psychological disorders and physical problems can stem from technostress. Of course you don’t want to get mentally or physically sick, but the danger is deeper and more subtle than that. Screen addiction makes it harder to connect with your inner wisdom that is invaluable in running a successful business. Technostress gets between you and the little voice that whispers in your head, “Do this, not that. Go this way, not that way.”

A digital detox gives you time to block out distractions and restore those crucial mind-body connections, allowing you to lead your business the way only you can.

Benefit 2: A Digital Detox Helps You Achieve Your Goals Quicker.

As business owners, we intuitively know there’s such a thing as positive stress on the way to achieving our goals. Positive stress shouldn’t be avoided like technostress—but sometimes they get mixed up. It’s like our bodies forget how to tell the difference. The message: “ALL STRESS IS BAD!!” Our inability to tolerate positive stress hinders our personal growth and goal attainment. And anytime we feel stressed, our digital devices offer an easy distraction (read “more stress”).

Stepping away from your devices in a digital detox allows your nervous system to reorient, separating the technostress from positive stress. Plus, when you’re detoxed from unhealthy habits, you’re no longer using technology as an avoidance tool, which will give you more time and energy to pursue your goals. You’ll knock down barriers to achieve your ideal future more quickly.

Benefit 3: A Digital Detox Can Help Improve Your Customer Service.

No matter how hard we work, the challenges of today’s fast-paced digital world will occasionally outstrip our abilities to respond. Have you ever seen Yelp reviews where the business owner responds harshly to a negative review? Our humanity is at the root of our ability to serve our customers. When we’re feeling insecure, it becomes important to win at all costs—even if it means arguing with a customer online. And exchanging heated comments on social media can make it easy to stop seeing people as people. Hopefully that’s not you, but your ability to serve humans well depends directly on your ability to be a healthy human.

A digital detox can give you the space to step away from the frenetic pace of online interactions. It can help you respond positively to and even anticipate customers’ needs and help you regulate when experiencing cutting remarks and emotional cruelty online.

Benefit 4: A Digital Detox Helps Protect Your Business From Bad Decision-Making.

Business owners have to make critical decisions every day. But in chronically stressful situations, your cognitive structure—the pattern you use to process information—begins to break down. That, in turn, hurts your ability to regulate emotions, and negative stimuli feels way more threatening. Guess what can happen when you feel threatened? You may jump to inaccurate conclusions or take inappropriate risks. Conversely, you might become paranoid that your resources aren’t enough to meet the challenges at hand, making you unable to take appropriate risks to advance your business.

A digital detox lets your cognitive structure begin to heal. When you’re no longer in fight or flight, you can accurately assess the situation and make wise, rational decisions that aren’t fear-based.