A digital detox doesn't need to mean deleting every app or disappearing for a week - a few consistent, moderate boundaries produce most of the benefit without requiring a dramatic, hard-to-sustain break.
Designating specific times - the first hour after waking, meals, the hour before bed - as phone-free is more sustainable than an all-or-nothing detox, and produces a real, noticeable reduction in reactive checking.
Most notifications create a small stress response even when ignored - turning off everything except genuinely time-sensitive alerts removes a steady source of low-grade interruption throughout the day.
Simply removing phone access during a habitual moment - waiting in line, before sleep - often just creates restlessness. Having something else ready, even something small, makes the change stick better than willpower alone.