DIGITAL DETOX

And now you will succeed

You can mark me out with two digital devices. My laptop and my iPhone. I get up with it and I go to bed with it. Or should I say ‘went’, because a little separation has actually crept in between me and my devices.

It came as my daughters discovered the joys of the mobile and, after an exuberant greeting of welcome, they in my mattelassé dove in there to snatch my phone and not let it go. Aside from the fact that girl love had called my old headmaster the other day, I still think it would be better to read a craft book or colour a colouring page. So what do I do now? I leave my phone in the car and only take it out when they are asleep.

And if you live away from your phone every now and then, you realise that you fill so much of your day with nothingness. Your Instagram feed, your Whatsapp groups. Giant all, but of course it doesn't really sink in. So, read along and detox.

1. Turn off your whatsapp notifications

That way, you are not incentivised and tempted to click anyway. And reply...

This actually applies to all reports. Off. Facebook, push notifications from Nu.nl or, my addiction and the app from De Slimste Mens that challenges you to play another round. Away with it, you do look it up when you have time for it.

2. Bedroom iPhone-free

Research shows that the first thing Dutch people do when they wake up is check their Whatsapp. And then their mail and then their Facebook. Just leave that phone downstairs, look at that nice man next to you (or woman or cat) and have a really good conversation with him. It will really make you happier than those 17 Whatsapps.

Besides, radiation from a phone is not good for mensch and you sleep better and deeper without that thing around.

3. Phone-free hour

We have a box in the office (all specially cobbled together by Jet) where you can put your mobile phone when you want to work undisturbed for a while. Of course, no one has ever done that because the addiction is too great for that, but the idea is a good one. When you go to dinner, you put your phone in the corridor. Or like me, in the car. Also a good one; while driving, put your phone in the boot. That way you won't be tempted to post an Instagram message during the traffic jam. Or do anything else, which is of course a particularly bad idea in traffic.

4. Tell people

If people are used to you always responding immediately, they might think you have fallen down a flight of stairs and are lying helpless in the kitchen (or something) if they haven't heard anything for an hour. So tell them you are going through life a bit more digitally-less, then everyone can get used to it and who knows, good example may follow. I love the phone, but a good book once in a while isn't bad either.

By the way, did I mention that I am in a state of high excitement because today my new iPhone 6s arrives?