Mental Detox Week - April 21 to April 27 (formerly TV Turnoff)

Mental Detox Week - April 21 to April 27 (formerly TV Turnoff)


For one week you take a break, unplug, turn off the TVs, computers, iPods, Blackberries, and cell phones. You don't have to go cold turkey, just challenge yourself to cut back a little. In the evening, you watch your favorite show if you have to, but then you switch off, relax, read a book, take a walk, or maybe go for a pint with a friend.

It's all about mental health. Recent studies have revealed a connection between our increasing use of a wide range of digital devices and growing stress levels and incidence of psychological disorders. Two out of three Americans suffer disconnection anxiety if they're away from their gadgets even for a few minutes, and The American Journal of Psychiatry has classified excessive gaming, porn surfing, emailing, and text messaging as a compulsive impulse disorder. Unplugging for a week is a non-pharmaceutical method of protecting your sanity and well-being.

So you take a step back from it all. Maybe for the first couple of days you'll feel crabby, sweaty, or agitated, like an addict in withdrawal. But then something remarkable will happen. Your over-stimulated brain will cleanse itself. You'll relax. You'll feel calmer and more grounded. You'll be whole again and see the world anew.

Mental Detox site