Disconnect to Reconnect: Why Taking a Break from Technology Matters
Updated: Sep 28
You don’t have to go completely tech-free to feel the benefits. Even small breaks can give your eyes, body and brain a chance to reset.
We use technology to do just about everything: work, communicate, navigate, shop, exercise, entertain ourselves and keep up with what’s happening in the world. It makes life easier in countless ways—but being connected all the time can make it harder to truly switch off.
For people who work remotely or in hybrid arrangements, the line between work and personal time can be especially easy to blur. When your office is in the next room, your computer is always within reach and your phone is constantly delivering notifications, it can feel like the workday never completely ends.
That’s why disconnecting from technology—intentionally and regularly—can be an important part of taking care of your time, attention and well-being.
What does it mean to disconnect?
Going tech-free doesn’t have to mean spending an entire weekend without your phone or deleting every app.
It can be much simpler: creating intentional periods when you step away from screens and give your attention to something else.
A few minutes away from the screen can become a few minutes of movement—and those small breaks can add up over the course of a day.
Some easy ways to begin disconnecting from technology:
Turning off work notifications after your workday ends.
Keeping your phone out of reach during meals.
Taking a walk without listening to a podcast or checking your phone.
Choosing a few screen-free hours in the evening.
Leaving your phone in another room while you read, cook or spend time with family.
Taking a break from social media for an afternoon, day or weekend.
Establishing a “no work email” window before bed.
Using your commute as a transition time instead of another opportunity to be connected.
The goal isn’t to eliminate technology. It’s to make sure technology works for you—not the other way around.
Create a clearer end to the workday
For remote and hybrid workers, disconnecting can also help create a psychological boundary between work and home.
One of the benefits of telework is eliminating or reducing the daily commute. But the commute can serve an important purpose: it gives us time to transition from one part of the day to another.
Without that transition, it can be tempting to move directly from a video call to dinner—or answer “just one more email” while relaxing at home.
You can create your own transition ritual.
Close the laptop. Turn off work notifications. Take a short walk. Change clothes. Make a cup of coffee or tea. Sit outside for a few minutes. Listen to music. Whatever helps signal that the workday is over.
For hybrid workers, commuting by transit, biking or walking can also provide valuable transition time. Instead of spending the trip focused on traffic, you can read, relax,
move your body or simply let your mind shift gears.
And for those who drive, consider creating a technology-free commute by putting the phone away and allowing yourself to simply travel without responding to messages or checking notifications.
Reclaim your attention
Technology isn’t inherently the problem. In fact, it can make work more flexible, help us stay connected and give us more choices about how and where we work.
The challenge is knowing when to put
it down.
Try asking yourself:
Do I need to be connected right now?
If the answer is no, give yourself permission to disconnect.
Start small. Put your phone away during dinner. Take your next coffee break without a screen. Go for a walk without checking your notifications. Stand up and stretch between meetings. Set a time when your workday ends—and stick to it.
You may find that a little distance from your devices gives you more time and attention for the things that technology can’t replace: conversation, movement, creativity, quiet and simply being present.
Make disconnecting part of your routine
You don’t need a complicated digital-detox plan. The most effective approach may simply be to build small technology-free moments into your everyday routine.
At work: Turn off nonessential notifications when you need to focus.
Get up and move between meetings rather than moving directly from one screen to another.
At the end of the day: Close your laptop and establish a clear stopping point. Create a simple ritual that helps you transition out of work mode.
During meals: Put phones away and give your attention to the people you’re with.
On your commute: If you’re taking transit, walking or biking, resist the urge to fill every minute with another screen. Give yourself time to observe, think, move or simply relax.
In the evening: Create a period when work apps, email and social media are off-limits. Use the time to read, stretch, cook, talk with family or get outside.
On weekends: Give yourself permission to be less available. Replace some screen time with an activity that gets you moving or lets you recharge.
The point isn’t to disconnect from the world. It’s to reconnect with the parts
of your life that deserve your attention, too.
Find your balance
Flexible work and sustainable transportation give us more choices in how we structure our days. Whether you’re working from home, heading into the office or doing a little of both, consider where you can build in opportunities to disconnect, move
and recharge.
For teleworkers, that might mean taking a walk before or after work, stepping away from your computer during the day or creating a firm boundary around when work ends.
For commuters, it might mean walking or biking for some trips, taking transit and walking to and from your stop, or using your commute as a chance to leave work behind rather than staying connected to it.
Disconnecting doesn’t have to be dramatic. Sometimes it’s as simple as putting your phone down, standing up from your desk and stepping outside.
A little less screen time can mean a little more movement, rest, attention and connection—and that’s time well spent.
More ways to find your balance
Looking for practical ideas and resources for making work and commuting work better for you? Visit TCTelework.com for free resources, information and tips for remote and hybrid work.
Less-Obvious Ways to Disconnect
1. Create a technology-free first 15 minutes.
Instead of reaching for your phone the moment you wake up, give yourself the first few minutes of the day without news, email or social media. Make coffee, stretch, open the blinds or simply sit quietly. Starting the day without immediately taking in information can create a calmer transition into everything that follows.
2. Stop using your phone as a waiting-room companion.
Waiting for an appointment? Standing in line? Early for a meeting? Resist the automatic reach for your phone. A few minutes of doing nothing may feel strange at first, but it gives your brain a rare opportunity to wander.
3. Leave some errands intentionally unoptimized.
GPS, apps and online ordering make it possible to optimize every minute of the day. But occasionally taking the scenic route, walking to a nearby destination or browsing a store without rushing can turn an ordinary errand into a chance to slow down and notice your surroundings.
4. Make one room a “no-phone zone.”
Rather than trying to change your entire technology routine, choose one place in your home where phones don't belong. The bedroom, dining room or living room can become a space where you aren't automatically connected.
5. Have a device-free transition between activities.
Instead of filling every gap with scrolling, create a few minutes between activities. Finish a meeting, close the laptop and walk around before starting the next task. Finish dinner and clean up before picking up your phone. These small pauses can help your mind and body shift gears.
6. Don't replace one screen with another.
It's easy to step away from your computer only to pick up your phone or turn on the television. When you take a technology break, try replacing it with something that uses a different part of your brain—or your body. Stretch, doodle, water plants, organize a drawer, play an instrument or sit outside.
7. Take a “notification vacation.”
Instead of turning off your entire phone, temporarily disable notifications for apps that aren't truly urgent. You can still check them when you choose—but you're no longer allowing every ping, buzz and banner to decide when you shift your attention.
8. Give yourself a screen-free route home.
If you're walking, biking or taking transit, try making part—or all—of the trip a technology-free zone. No scrolling, no work email and no multitasking. Let the commute be a buffer between work and home.
9. Pay attention to the moments you automatically reach for your phone.
Notice the habit rather than judging it. Do you pick it up when you're bored? Uncomfortable? Waiting? Tired? Once you recognize the trigger, you can choose something else—even if it's just taking a few breaths or looking around you.
10. Build “nothing time” into your calendar.
We're accustomed to scheduling productive activities, but deliberately leaving a small block of unscheduled time can be surprisingly valuable. Don't fill it with another task or screen. Let yourself decide what you want to do when the time arrives.
11. Use your hands.
Technology tends to keep our eyes and fingers occupied in very specific ways. Try activities that engage your hands differently: cooking, gardening, drawing, knitting, woodworking, puzzles or fixing something around the house. There's something satisfying about making or doing something without a screen telling you what to do next.
12. Take a technology-free meeting when you can.
Not every conversation needs a screen, presentation or laptop. For appropriate one-on-one conversations, consider taking a walk together or meeting somewhere without computers. You may find that people listen differently when they're not simultaneously looking at a screen.
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