Take Back Your Life With a Digital Fast

January always feels like a reset. New planners, new habits, new promises to ourselves. Many of us swear this will finally be the year we eat better, move more, or break a stubborn habit. But what if the most powerful resolution for 2026 has nothing to do with food or fitness—and everything to do with our phones?

A Digital Fast

This year, I’m inviting you to try something surprisingly simple: take a short fast from social media. Not forever. Not even for a week.

Just long enough to see how much it shapes your mood, attention, and well-being.

Start by putting your phone completely out of reach. No notifications, no scrolling, no quick dopamine hits. Just you—your breath, your thoughts, and whatever (or whoever!) is right in front of you.

Then notice what happens:

• How long before you feel restless?

• How quickly do you want to check something—anything?

• How uncomfortable does stillness feel?

That little “itch” to reach for your device isn’t personal weakness; it’s design. Social media platforms are engineered to hook your attention. Practicing presence—even in tiny doses—is a powerful way to check in on your mental wellness.

Why This Matters

We live in a world with endless ways to connect, yet somehow many of us feel less happy, more distracted, and more overwhelmed. Comparison, FOMO, and information overload are now daily stressors.

Research continues to show that kids who start social media early—especially around age 12—are at greater risk for anxiety, depression, body image struggles, and inactivity. Every child is different, but the trends are too consistent to ignore. And parents? We’re not immune. Many of us feel mentally drained from constantly splitting our attention—half living life, half capturing it for a feed. The pressure to be “on” all the time is real.

A digital fast interrupts that habit loop. Even a brief break gives your brain a chance to rest and recalibrate.

The Power of Presence

When you put the phone down, something shifts. Your attention sharpens. Your thoughts quiet. You can actually hear yourself again.

You might:

• notice your breathing

• feel your shoulders drop

• become aware of the room around you

• connect more fully with your partner or kids

You may even bump into boredom—a forgotten space where creativity and self-awareness love to live.

How to Start

No retreat, no fancy program—just a few simple steps:

1. Pick a window of time: 5 minutes, 15 minutes, or an hour )

2. Put your phone in another room (yes, this part matters!).

3. Sit, walk, stretch, or sip tea—without multitasking.

4. Notice the urge to reach for your phone.

5. Let the urge pass on its own.

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s simply awareness. We’re quick to change our diets or start new workout plans, yet we often forget that mental clarity, peace, and presence are just as essential to our health.

A social media fast may not be glamorous—or Instagrammable—but it may be the reset your mind has been craving. So, this January, instead of adding more to your plate, try subtracting something. Take back your happiness—one quiet moment at a time.

Stacey Antine, MS, RDN, is the founder of Ridgewood’s HealthBarn USA and author of “Appetite for Life.” She is a national expert in family nutrition and has appeared on the Rachael Ray Show, CNN, PBS-TV, and hundreds of broadcast, print, and social channels.