Digital Detox Challenge

About This CHALLENGE

Reclaim your focus this July with our free 31-day Digital Detox Challenge - designed through careful research to be challenging, yet very doable! Because, let's face it, the idea to completely delete screens from our lives is impossible, however there are step-by-step methods to take control of that habit and create just enough space there to make that relationship healthy again.

Each day, cut screen time and embrace offline moments to boost clarity and connection. Here are just a few scientifically backed perks:

Improved Mental Well-Being

Reduces anxiety and depression, boosting mood and clarity. (source)

Better Sleep Quality

Enhances sleep by cutting blue light and nighttime screen use. (source)

Enhanced Social Connection

Strengthens relationships through more face-to-face interaction. (source)

Join Challenge

INSTRUCTIONS for this Challenge

Commit to a digital detox for 31 days in July. Unplug from screens to boost mental clarity, sleep better, and reconnect with life. No tech skills needed—just simple, daily steps to cut distractions and live mindfully. Join now and transform your focus!

Rules: Follow these steps daily for 31 days:

- 2 Hours Screen-Free: Take 2 hours daily without screens (phones, tablets, laptops, TVs). You can split it anyway you want. A good example is 1 hour before bed, with the rest split during the day.

- 30-Minute Social Media Cap: Limit recreational social media to 30 minutes daily (use native screen time trackers like Digital Wellbeing for Android or Screen Time for iPhone).

- No Phone During Meals: Keep devices away while eating to focus on food and connection.

- (Optional) Screenless Sunday: Go all-in with a full day or 8 consecutive hours screen-free each Sunday.
Helpful Tools & Tips: Make your detox easier with these strategies:

- Track Time: Use a cheap kitchen timer to mark screen-free hours or track social media with your phone’s built-in app limits.

- Exchange Scrolling for Reading: Dive into Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport or The Shallows by Nicholas Carr to fill screen-free time and stay motivated.

- Replace, Don’t Resist: Swap phone time for a walk without your device, journaling, or a face-to-face chat with a friend. Turn screen breaks into meaningful moments.

Join Challenge

hours per day
without screens

minute cap per day
on social media

consecutive days
of July

Notable PRACTITIONERS

These are some of the well-known people who publicly mentioned doing digital detoxes in the past

Ed Sheeran

By Harald Krichel - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=88009757

Took a year-long social media break in 2015 to see the world “through my eyes, not a screen.” Went phone-free for two years, boosting creativity. (source)

Selena Gomez

By Lunchbox LP, Culver City, California - Lunchbox LP Flickr stream, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35920764

“Taking a break from social media was the best decision that I’ve ever made for my mental health,”
(source)

Tom Holland

By Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50404093

Took a social media break in 2022, citing overstimulation from Instagram and Twitter. Deleted apps to protect mental health.
(source)

Join Challenge

Our Mission

We explore the effects of popular habits and routines on physical and mental health. Through monthly challenges, we gather concrete data and share valuable knowledge with our community & and the world.

As of now 51652 people from 91 countries have signed up for our 7 Challenges: Ice Challenge, Yoga Challenge, 10.000 Steps Challenge, Meditation Challenge, Intermittent Fasting Challenge, Strength Challenge, Digital Detox Challenge

The Digital Detox Challenge has been successfully joined!

Further updates will be sent by email. We also invite you to follow us on Instagram here to get all the updates about this incoming challenge and during the Challenge.

Want to make the Commitment Stronger? According to research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology: Individuals who made their commitments public were 65% more likely to stick to their goals compared to those who kept them private.

This is optional but if you want to take it to the next level Share your commitment on your social media or with friends and family. This can be as simple as saying:

"I have decided to do a 31 consecutive days of The Digital Detox Challenge in July. Keep your fingers crossed!:) #TheDigitalDetoxChallenge"

Join the DIGITAL DETOX CHALLENGE Now!

We will notify you via email when it goes LIVE on 1st of July!
Share your journey with other participants using hashtags #TheDigitalDetoxChallenge, #JulyDigitalDetoxChallenge and tag @theorgchallenge to get featured on our social media channels.

By clicking “I'm in!”, you confirm that you have read the safety warning and agree to receiving emails and to processing of your personal data in accordance with the Privacy policy

People signed up for all Challenges

Challenges successfully finished

Frequently asked questions

How do I join a Challenge?

There is a "Join Challenge" button for any active challenge. There will be 12 Challenges per year. You are free to join any time however joining on the first day of a given month is how the game is meant to be played to experience a full month of a given challenge.

What are the instructions for a Challenge?

All necessary instructions are always found on the page of a particular challenge. If you haven't received the email 1 day prior to the Challenge don't worry! The email only contains a part of the message which is included on the Challenge page anyway. But the instructions are really extremely simple. For the "10.000 Steps Challenge" it could be "Just walk at least 10000 steps per day". For the "Meditation Challenge" it would be "Just sit and meditate for 15 minutes a day, anywhere, at any time, with any meditation method you can find online".

Where are the Challenges happening?

All Challenges can be done from your location. Each Challenge is done in such a way that there is no particular location to attend to.

At what time during the day do I have to do a Challenge?

Challenges can be done at any time during the day, whether it's morning, evening, or mid day. Though it is much easier to stick to a routine in the morning as mornings can be typically controlled whereas the evening tends to be more chaotic and have unscheduled tasks that need attending.

Is this FREE?

Yes, all challenges are and always will be free to join and participate in.

Why trust us?

We’re not selling anything. We’re learning alongside you

How do the monthly $3000 prizes work exactly?

There will be 3 (three) $1000 prizes per chosen Challenge (not all Challenges will have prizes). To be eligible for the prize one has to share their daily journey with a hashtag chosen for each Challenge. Then, After the Challenge has ended send in the links to specific videos to [email protected] where the posts can be verified. At the end of a Challenge the 3 winners will be chosen by TheChallenge.org team based on the most well done daily documentation of a given Challenge. Numbers of followers, likes, comments on social media etc WILL NOT matter. Read all the requirements here and in the contest terms in each of the Challenge pages near the sign-up area.

I don't have an Instagram or YouTube account, can I still participate?

Absolutely! You don't need to do anything to participate since the challenges can be done from anywhere. To sign up and receive updates about the challenge or to be able to contribute to a science questionnaire at the end you just need to have an email and join a Challenge on the website. Instagram or Youtube accounts are only a requirement for people who want to have a shot at the Prizes. That however requires daily posting on those channels for a whole month so is very rarely done. Approximately 99.5% of all Challenge Participants do it for the Challenge itself and do not post daily on their social media channels. We are just happy if you do the Challenge!

Is this a non-profit organization?

TheChallenge.Org is a for-knowledge organisation. The organisation is not a typical non-profit. It will have an optional donation model for people wanting to support it and help cover the cost of operations.

Who are the people behind this project?

The Founder of the project is Karol Banaszkiewicz (Twitter/X: @KarolChallenge) , a successful entrepreneur who sold his company and decided to commit his time & resources in pursuit of a goal to measure how various habits impacts peoples physical & mental health.