Have you ever heard of a “digital detox”? Many learned about it when American musician John Mayer completed a one-week detox in 2010, and encouraged his fans to join him. Or perhaps you heard of “Digital Detox Week,” a yearly April event promoted by Adbusters magazine that suggests cutting back on digital stimulation.

What exactly is a “digital detox”?

Also known as “technology detox,” “digital cleanse,” or even “e-tox,” the idea is to simply clear your mind from over stimulation and information overload, and restore balance to your life. You know, that “healthy feeling.”

Urban Dictionary defines “e-tox” as “detoxification from electronic and/or digital devices.” Adbusters suggests meditating on your relationship with your box, reflecting on slowing down, and reconnecting with reality during a detox.

But really, a detox is what you make it. You know yourself and your needs best. So, detox your way! Read on for a few ideas…

Why detox?

Plain and simple, because too much of a good thing may not be a good thing.

Your “Why” may be different from mine. My recent 48-hour digital detox allowed my mind and body to rest more. I got to do various fun, relaxing things. Admittedly, I also wanted to put my relationship with technology to the test, and proof to myself that I am not an Internet addict (probably many of us aren’t so sure!). Did my digital life control me, or did I control It?

So what’s in it for you?

7 Steps to Make Your Digital Detox Easier

Of course, you can just plunge into it, or you can use any or all of these 7 tips to make your detox easier:

1) Choose a time period. Cut back on digital stimulation for a weekend, or an entire week. Or institute a regular weekly cleanse, for example each Saturday, Sunday, or a block of time each evening. For me, plugging and unplugging daily was harder than a lengthier detox, so I started the easy way. I suggest choosing a time period that is doable and realistic, even though any option may feel like a stretch!

2) Decide on the terms. What are the demands of your work and family life? Is email and phone use okay, or will you do a phone-free, 100% offline cleanse? During my 48-hour detox, I really wanted to unplug, so I only checked phone messages once a day in case a therapy client was in crisis. Make a list of the ways in which you are regularly “plugged in” and decide what you will do by location (work, home, other), by device (phone, computer, iPad…) or by activity (email, text, gaming, web surfing, Facebook, Twitter…).

3) Reduce temptation. Limit access to digital activities. Remove Twitter, Facebook and other apps from your phone if needed. You can easily reinstall them later. Will you leave your computer on 24/7? Will you carry your phone with you at all times, or leave it behind? I had more difficulty when my phone was handy. How will it be if people around you use technology? It was hard to see my husband online during my detox!

4) Tell others that you are detoxing. Announce it on Twitter and Facebook, or set up a vacation email. This may decrease the flow of incoming messages. Plus accountability works! Invite others to join you in offline activities, like a walk, coffee or dinner with a friend, i.e. strength in numbers.

5) Enlist help for the journey. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. What will you do when it gets tough? Make a list of alternatives to “plugging in” for those withdrawal moments: Journal (also helps with self-reflection), read a book, exercise, take a bath. Don’t leave it to chance. Muster all the help you can beforehand.

6) Just do it! Even though the impulse to return to your digital world may drive you crazy, be in the moment as much as you can. Draw attention to your senses: Smell a flower, watch a sunset, listen to music, get a massage. While I was initially counting the hours to the end of my detox, feelings of relaxation and euphoria started creeping in as time went by. See how it is for you!

7) And now what? After detoxing, close your eyes and take inventory of how you feel inside: Is your internal pace different? How do your mind and body feel? Was it worth it? I felt better, and relieved to know that everybody and everything online was still there when I returned. But most importantly, I was “there” more so than before.