feb-mar digital detox report 2026
struggles
Initially, I did the detox because I felt some old tech habits creeping back in (phone in bed and turning off site blockers in particular). I ended up making good on my promises. Counting the days without siteblockers (20 day streak!), especially further on into the detox process, motivated me to keep logging.
solutions
UBlock origin commands + LeechBlockNG + Invidious were my lifeline! Using the "||(site name)" command on uBlock made sites that I would get ensnared by (Reddit) completely inaccessible1.
I started using Invidous during the YouTube boycotts and I haven't gone back. It's a front end with asignificantly less toxic algorithm. I have the people I subscribe to, and explore occasionally by direct search.
LeechBlock has a timer that pops up I enter my 2 hour gap of fun screen tinkering. Seeing that timer tick down helped relieve the 'wanting' feeling I would normally be left with when my blocking schedule resumed. It also helped me disengage and wind down for bed.
Alarms didn't help me go to bed earlier; I flat out ignored them in the first week or so. Accepting that lack of sleep really does impact me at all levels helped me reconcile a bit with the fact that I can't 'do it all' -- even if its very dear to me, like my favourite hobbies.
hobbies
I actually did not return to most of my hobbies (not as much as I liked). This is primary reason why I felt the detox was actually too short to expect long-term results! I thought that most of my logs would be about my hobbies or whatever, but they ended up being exercises in observation and (fine, mindfulness) it felt nice to slow down.
mental health
The detox process did take a toll on my mental health, especially during the third week because I was very sick. The illness compounded with my existing apathy and burnout. I also took the leap and finally started some counselling. I learned that I am very unhappy because of some rigid factors, which makes it hard for me to take action and see things through. The unecessary screen use (even though it has drastically decreased the past two years) was a form of self medication.
I will continue with the detox, but this time, I'll integrate these new changes. I'm starting to feel more stable & satisfied, so I am curious to see what the next month holds.
I use multiple profiles. this was on my personal. Reddit was blocked on my other accounts as well. I'd fall into the doomscroll trap through search queries.↩