Abstract The widespread use of technology has improved our daily life, but it has also raised concerns about excessive screen time and its impact on psychological well-being and social interactions. While conventional approaches to digital well-being advocate for digital detoxes as a means of regaining balance, the long-term, context-dependent strategies to manage digital disengagement remain largely overlooked. Drawing from qualitative data collected through in-depth interviews, we develop a grounded theory that conceptualizes digital detox as an adaptive process rather than a singular event. Our findings introduce Adaptive Digital Unplugging (ADU) as a novel theoretical construct, framing unplugging as a dynamic and context-dependent adaptation process rather than a rigid, one-time detox. Individuals continuously negotiate their digital engagement between structural constraints, intrinsic motivators, and situational strategies. This study highlights the necessity for personalized and self-regulated approaches to manage digital engagement, ensuring sustained performance efficiency, long-term psychological resilience, and a more balanced human-technology interaction.