Whenever Michael Carl, the fashion market director at Vanity Fair, goes out to dinner with friends, he plays something called the “phone stack” game: Everyone______their phones in the middle of the table; whoever looks at their device before the check arrives______for dinner.

Brandon Holley, the former editor of Lucky magazine, had trouble ______ her mobile phone when she got home from work. So about six months ago, she ______ putting her phone into a milk tin the moment she walked in. It remains there until after dinner. And Mare Jacobs, the fashion designer, didn’t ______ to sleep close to a noisy phone. So he ______ digital devices from his bedroom—a house rule he ______ with audiences during a recent screening of Disconnect, a film that shows how technology has alienated (使疏远) people from one another.

As smart phones ______ to make their way into our lives, and wearable devices like Google Glass ______ to destroy our personal space even further, users are carving out their own device-free zones. Whether it’s a physical barrier (no ipads at the dinner table) or a conceptual one (turn off devices by 11 p.m.), users say these disconnecting ______ are improving their relationships - and ______ their brains.

“Disconnecting is something that we all ______,” said Lesley M. M. Blume, a New York writer who keeps her phone away from the dinner table at home. “The expectation that we must always be ______ to employers, colleagues and family creates a real problem in trying to ______ private time. But that private time is more important than ever.”

A popular method for disconnecting is to choose a box for your cellphone, like the milk tin that Ms. Holley uses. “______ my phone is buzzing or lighting up, it’s still a distraction, so it ______ in the box.” said Ms. Holley. Others choose new ______. “No screens after 11 p.m.” said Ari. Melber, a TV host. “Now evenings are more ______ and I am sleeping better.” he added.

Sleep is a big factor, which is why some ______ to leave their phones out of their bedrooms. “I don’t want to sleep next to something full of photos and emails.” said Peter Som, a fashion designer, who keeps his phone charging in the living room overnight. “It ______ is a head­clearer and distinguishes daytime and sleep time.”