Do you ever feel like you are on a treadmill going slightly too fast to nowhere in particular? Sometimes all of that running seems productive in the moment – you are moving, after all. But then, when you take a moment to reflect on the bigger picture and how far you have progressed (or not), the reality can be pretty disheartening.

One of the most effective ways to get off of the hamster track to nowhere and reclaim a bit of perspective is to disconnect from technology completely for a period of time. That’s right. Go on a basic screen fast: no TV, no email, no Facebook, no Twitter, no texting. If you need a computer to do your work, you may use it, but turn off the interenet and email. Instead, plug-in to your inner voice. Observe what’s happening around you. Connect and be truly present with your work colleagues, your friends and your family. You’ll be surprised at the difference it makes, particularly as it relates to true productivity.

We recommend giving yourself at least one week to detox from the noise and constant distraction caused by the ever present digital domain. Why? Because you need to put enough distance between yourself and your old digital habits in order to really comprehend, on a visceral level, the degree to which you have been distracted.

But how does one go on a screen detox, especially if your work requires you to be connected? It is possible. Follow these steps and enjoy newly found inspiration, innovation and invigoration.

Step 1: Get organized and make a plan

Prepare your environment so that it works for you, not against you as you go through your detox. Put digital devices and remotes away where you cannot see them and won’t be tempted by them. De-clutter your desk and rooms. When clearing clutter follow these organizational tips: Remove everything that does not logically belong in the space. Put that stuff where it belongs. If it doesn’t have a home, create one. If you don’t love it or need it, let it go. Once you have a pristine environment, organize your thoughts. Decide what you want out of your detox. Clarification on the daily activities that truly matter to your work and your life? A fresh appreciation for something/someone? Once you know why you need to disconnect, then make a plan for how, which includes figuring out when. Holidays and vacations present a great opportunity to disconnect. If you need a computer and the Internet to do your work, get a week ahead of any internet-based work so that you can stay offline for the duration of your fast.

Step 2: Set expectations

Don’t just ignore your inbox and avoid the Internet without telling anyone what’s going on. People will worry. Do tell your friends and acquaintances that you won’t be available for the next seven days. Then use your email and phone tools to set up auto-responders. Tell everyone what you’re doing and let them know that if they MUST reach you for an absolutely urgent matter, they will have to call you and talk to you. If you use Outlook, you can filter all your email into various folders and flag those of more importance so that when you do come back online, it will be easier to focus on high-priority items. Most of the other messages will be out-of-date by then and easy to delete.

Step 3: Stop checking! Really

Just don’t do it. Every time you feel the urge to grab your phone, or log-on to your computer, or turn on the television, have an action plan. Instead, engage someone in a conversation or game, walk the dog, share an intimate moment (or more) with your spouse, go on a walk. You might also find that you have time to do things for yourself, like take a bubble bath or curl up with a good book, which you otherwise “wouldn’t have time” for.

Step 4: Make dates to socialize

Fill each day with activities, with an emphasis on “active,” with the people who are most important to you. Do something special with your children. Go on a date with your spouse/partner. Host a fun event with your friends (book club, clothing swap, happy hour). Find a friend who shares an interest and do that thing together (see live music, go to a play, try a new restaurant).

You’ll be surprised at how much extra time there is in the day when you aren’t constantly answering to the beeping of your phone/email or serving as a slave to your favorite TV shows. If you find that you really can NOT unplug, then you might have an addiction. And that’s okay, as long as you realize it and take steps to beat it, because studies show that there is such a thing as too much screen time. It can lead to depression and other behavioral issues.

Do you think you could ever go on a screen detox?

A few years ago, Disney Pixar released the movie Up. It’s a sweet little film about a rather crotchety old widower and a young scout who accidentally end up on an adventure together. Not long after they touch down in a far-off land they are greeted by a dog named Dug. He’s a loveable golden retriever who bounds affectionately into their arms and then shocks them both when he speaks English via a special collar translator worn around his neck. The only trouble is, he often interrupts what he’s saying mid-sentence, shouts “squirrel,” and points for a second or two.

In a lot of ways, we humans are a lot like cute, furry Dug. Only our “squirrels” are the bings and buzzes emanating from our digital devices. One minute we’re working productively on something, but the second our phone vibrates, we will drop everything and turn to it…squirrel!

These constant interruptions literally torpedo our productivity. It is estimated the average person wastes 2 hours/day on email, 40 minutes/day on Facebook, 12 minutes/day on Twitter, 10 minutes/day on LinkedIn – and an additional 96 minutes/day switching back and forth between tasks. That means all of our squirrel chasing is costing each of us about 22.5 hours in lost productivity a week. That’s a staggering amount!

Why are we “addicted” to our phones, email, and other e-communications?

There are two big reasons why we feel compelled to incessantly check our phones, emails, facebook pages, twitter accounts, and the like.

The first is because there is a powerful conditioning loop at work. Our digital devices often “reward” us with feelings of belonging and significance when we respond to them; that email from mom, the high-five from a boss, they make us feel good. These two emotions are paramount to humans. If we were rats, they would be our cheese. When a stimuli, like an email ping, is paired with a powerful reward and then delivered at unpredictable intervals, just as happens with our digital devices, we will literally become addicted to the behavior associated with getting the powerful reward. In this case that means we literally can’t resist the urge to check email or grab our phones when they beep at us.

The second reason we’re addicted is because of a little human trait social scientists call reciprocity, or the compulsion to respond in kind to others. It is a trait that enables individuals to make contributions to the larger social group without worrying they are losing out. We are all taught from a very young age to return favors, lest we be shunned as an ingrate. Guess what, it applies to communications too. One social scientist, Professor Robert Cialdini, actually conducted an experiment a few decades ago in which he sent holiday greeting cards to a few hundred people he chose at random from the AZ white pages. Low and behold, he was soon inundated with holiday cards from them, even though they had no idea who he was. You see, our compulsion to respond is hard-wired.

4 strategies for overcoming your compulsion

Although the pull to drop everything and respond is strong, we are not at the mercy of our digital devices. Here are four, relatively simple strategies for resisting their siren call.

1. Reduce the intrusiveness of the stimuli.

Since the stimuli trigger a conditioning loop most of us are unable to resist, one of the most effective things you can do is reduce the intrusiveness of the stimuli when you need to focus on something. That means, turning off all alerts, buzzes, dings, pop-ups that could distract you from your work at hand. If you have a Mac, you can also “hide” your dock while you are working on something, so you won’t see any visual indicators that you have mail. We recommend turning them off for good because you don’t ever really need to be at their mercy.

2. Remove the reward dispensers from your environment (temporarily).

There are programs, like Freedom, and Concentrate that enable you to lock yourself out of “rewarding” programs like email social media sites when you need to really focus on a task. The programs are $10 and $29 respectively, but worth their weight in gold. Using them elevates you from rat in a cage being conditioned by external forces to that of the scientist who is actually doing the conditioning.

3. Reward yourself for good behavior.

Use the powerful emotional rewards of significance and belonging to strengthen new, more productive behavior. For example, if you currently respond to every email, text, etc. the second it comes in, try rewarding yourself with a peek at those emails after you finish a task successfully.

4. Send fewer emails/texts and make what you do send brief and to the point.

Did you know that you can use the power of reciprocity to actually curtail the amount of email you receive? Consider this, Kim Davis, a woman we interviewed for our book Pretty Neat, tried a little experiment. She added a signature line to all of her emails that simply said, “Please keep our email boxes uncluttered, only reply all if it is critical everyone receives your reply.” She immediately noticed a drop in reply all clutter in her inbox. She also noticed others in her department, and then in other departments, adopting her signature line as well. In that spirit, if you send fewer emails, you will receive fewer emails. And if you make a point of sending brief, concise emails, you are more likely to get that same kind of missive in return. Make reciprocity work for you, not against you.

Do you have these four areas buttoned up? If not, which of these areas do you struggle with? Have you ever tried a program like Concentrate or Freedom?