You don’t need to post a goodbye note on your story. You don’t have to light a candle or start a Substack. You can just log off. Quietly. Casually. Like people used to do before everyone felt the need to curate their own disappearance.
The truth is, most of us know we need to unplug. We’re tired. Burned out. Emotionally dehydrated from living our entire lives on glowing rectangles. But taking a break from the internet has become its own kind of internet content. That’s why stepping away without turning it into a whole production feels oddly rebellious.
Still, the need is real. A study from the University of Pennsylvania found that limiting social media to just 30 minutes a day significantly reduced depression and anxiety among young adults. And researchers at JAMA Pediatrics observed that teens who frequently checked their feeds had noticeable changes in the parts of their brains that process social rewards. Translation: Your brain isn’t just tired — it’s being rewired.
So how do you log off without spiraling or overthinking it? Here’s how to unplug — without making it a whole thing.
1. Don’t announce it. Just leave.
If you’re unplugging to reset, don’t perform the reset. Silence doesn’t need commentary. Simon Sinek puts it plainly: “There is a difference between being connected and being present.” The problem isn’t that people don’t know you’re taking a break — it’s that we’ve forgotten how to do things quietly.
Presence is better than performance. Let your digital break be boring. No need for a “taking a step back” post. Your group chat will survive. So will your followers.
2. Start with a window — not a vow.
You don’t need to disappear for 30 days and move into the woods. A couple hours of screen-free time can still shift your brain back into gear. The University of Texas at Austin ran a study where participants blocked internet access on their smartphones for just two weeks. The result? Better mental health, sharper focus and a noticeable drop in compulsive checking.
Arianna Huffington recommends something even smaller: “One of my favorite microsteps is to take just 60 seconds in the morning before you go to your phone.” Not a wellness regimen. Just a minute. Before you hand over your brain to the scroll.
Try screen-free mornings. Or no phones after 10 p.m. Give your attention span a fighting chance.
3. Fill the space with something that’s actually good for you.
This isn’t about productivity. It’s about pleasure — real, non-scroll-based pleasure. Cook something. Walk somewhere. Touch an actual book. William Powers, author of Hamlet’s BlackBerry, says it best: “There’s nothing like holding a sheaf of beautifully designed pages in your hands. The whole world slows down, and your mind with it.”
Even better, there’s data to back up the benefits. A 2023 study found that taking a three-day break from social media improved self-esteem and self-compassion in teenage girls — and significantly lowered body shame. So yes, even a short break can reset the emotional static buzzing in the background of your brain.
4. Don’t turn rest into a performance.
Sabbath is sacred, sure — but don’t confuse that with needing to spiritualize every break from your phone. God didn’t rest on the seventh day so he could post about it. You’re not lazy. You’re human. And constantly being available is not a moral high ground.
Cal Newport, author of Digital Minimalism, warns that we’ve mistaken connectivity for value. “We all have much more time than we think we do; we just fill it with lots of scrolling.” A digital detox doesn’t have to be a soul-searching odyssey. Sometimes it’s just what your soul needs.
5. Expect discomfort — and lean into it.
This is the part where your brain panics. What if you miss something? What if no one texts? What if you’re left alone with your thoughts?
That’s where the real reset begins.
Research from JAMA Pediatrics shows that the adolescent brain actually becomes hypersensitive to digital social cues — likes, views, comments. So stepping away might feel awkward at first. But that silence? That’s the part of your brain that doesn’t belong to the algorithm waking back up.
As Newport puts it, “Solitude is a crucial ingredient in a life well lived.” You don’t have to become a monk. Just sit still long enough to notice what comes up when no one’s watching.
The point of unplugging isn’t to win at mindfulness. It’s to remember that you’re not a content machine. You’re a person — with thoughts, attention and a soul that’s probably starving for some actual peace.
You don’t have to delete your apps. You don’t have to throw your phone in a lake. But you can log off. Quietly. Intentionally. Without turning it into a spectacle.
No announcement required.
