IT'S BEA TIME!

Why as a Tech Advisor, I Advise Taking Regular Tech Detoxes

Written by

Bea Bhardwaj

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I’ve been in front of a screen for as long as I can remember. From the grainy glow of a CRT TV playing rewound VCR tapes to the static hum that filled the room while waiting for a dial-up connection to finally click in, screens have been my lifelong companions.

I miss the jarring sound of the modem as it fought to connect, interrupting any ongoing phone call. Sometimes, my siblings or parents would unknowingly pick up the receiver in the middle of my online game, and the connection would drop instantly. It was frustration then, but now a nostalgic nectar: that rage of interruption now feels endearing in hindsight. Back then, every click and loading bar carried a strange anticipation. Even waiting felt alive.

Those were simpler times. But over the last five years, something subtle has been slipping away: cognitive sovereignty and now, resilience. In tech industry, or tech advisory work anywhere, speed is glorified. We celebrate efficiency, instant decisions, sales targets, and real-time collaboration. But behind that constant availability lies a quiet erosion of attention. When your nervous system never leaves “online mode,” clarity fades away, and noise takes centre stage.

And now digital detoxes are not just a new-age spiritual lifestyle, but a strategic form of system maintenance for the human mind. I’m now clumsy with my phone and I don’t regret it. But that’s just me. It’s not about abandoning devices, it’s about reclaiming intentionality and your sense of agency.

For people whose business runs on screens, this kind of structured withdrawal works like a reset of the nervous system and executive function, not a luxury break. In my field, judgment, foresight, and critical thinking define success, and cognitive resilience is a business asset. But can you sustain resilience in perpetual connection? Personally, being highly sound-sensitive and neurodivergent individual, a digital detox is a conscious choice to disentangle from overstimulation in order to recalibrate the nervous system, re-centre, expand my attention span, use my brain for critical thinking, and sometimes to simply relax!

The benefits I am seeing with an aggressive digital detox are far more sustainable and effective than medication.

  • Better concentration and more efficient information processing
  • Improved mental health and emotional regulation by finding time to introspect and journal.
  • Enhanced sleep, physiology, and burnout prevention.

Cognitive restoration also helps creativity to flow through us (I’ve picked up painting again, and while I’m not great, but it’s helping me think more creatively and write poetry. So maybe a new poetry book is coming out?)

Taking time to disconnect reminds me that technology is meant to extend human capacity, not replace human presence. When I step back, there are no notifications, no metrics, no dashboards. And it’s beautiful because my already annoying, observant habit is getting extremely poignant. I also see how my thoughts settle, how ideas surface, how perspective sharpens. Those pauses, ironically, make me better at what I do.

Of course, you don’t have to be so aggressive with it like I am, but I do recommend asking yourself, why is it important for you to have control over your mind and decisions? What are you really missing out on if you don’t use instagram for a day? Is it more important for you than your health? There are many resources online, but start with setting one small change for the week. Here are some suggestions that got me started:

  • A quick weekly “digital check-in”: look at screen time stats, notice which apps drain versus nourish. Delete, or at least time block, the ones that are draining you.
  • Make the “first and last 15-20 minutes offline” rule a non-negotiable. I do that for an hour, but try to skip using your phone in the first 15 minutes after waking or before sleep.
  • Implement tech-free zones, like the dining table or bedroom, to make disconnection the default, not an act of willpower. I sleep without electronic devices in my bedroom, except for the good ol’ alarm clock.
  • If a tech free day or week is impossible, try a tech-free micro-block per day for 30 minutes. Get your coffee, lunch, or a walk, without scrolling.

(Due to my extensive sound sensitivity, I do need headphones on during my walks for music, audiobooks, or a sense of familiarity when I am walking, but I keep my notifications off, so I am not checking my phone. I have shared some resources that helped me with my ecosystem.)

In the last 7-8 years, I have talked about cybersecurity, system optimisation, and uptime, but I’ve realised that electronic systems cannot overtake my own system uptime. What good is a secure cloud if the strategist is burned out or disembodied from their own intuition?

To me, regular tech detoxes are as much about ethical leadership as they are about mental hygiene, i.e., modelling boundaries, curiosity, and depth in an economy built on speed. Work-life balance is not something one figures out when the leadership is sure to call them at 7PM because a report is due tomorrow.

So yes, I tell my former and current clients to take tech detoxes seriously, and I will continue advocating for them to my future clients as well. Because when you give your mind room to breathe, your decisions improve, your creativity returns, and your empathy recalibrates. You stop reacting and start designing. In other words: you begin leading again, not just running on an autopilot.

These are the few articles that helped me holistically-mind, body, and spirit. MindBodyGreen and DailyOM have been my knights in shining armour through this process. I highly recommend their courses, free resources, and just the entire vibe (unsponsored credit). Happy Exploring!

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