Digital Detox

The other day, I happened to read about how people are not able to take a break from work even when they are on holidays and weekend getaways. The interesting bit was how it was not always our bosses and managers nagging us while we wanted to take a break but, us who have a dire need to be connected.

Wait what? You mean most of us have become so used to checking our phones every 5 minutes that even when we are away from our office we need to check our emails and message our friends and family and share a new snap chat and insta story and reply to that Facebook comment and goodness we are so busy and wired and quickly tired.

Can you believe there is a Californian Company called The Digital Detox who organizes retreats that are gadget free so that we can relax? This is huge I thought.

So, as an experiment, I went on a digital detox for an entire day. No, it was not a fancy staycation situation. The day started with me enjoying a cup of coffee in my own house by staring at the sky and not at a Laptop or TV screen. I felt so relaxed as if I was meditating. The taste of the coffee seemed so much better. I finally had time to clear out my wardrobe and organize the junk drawer and write down blog post and video ideas and cuddle a lot more with my son. I sat there playing with legos and feeling so present and mindful.

Now, I will completely be honest and agree that I did slip and check my phone once. So, I left it at home when we went to enjoy the sunset. By the end of the day, I was so amazed by how much I had accomplished and how much more beautiful the sunset was and how much more joyous I felt.

One day of digital detox was the best thing I did for myself in a long time and hence, I wanted to share and inspire you all to try it at least once.

A few benefits of Digital Detox

• It helps you to be mindful and enjoy the moment
• It rejuvenates your mind and body
• Disconnecting for a day from the world enables you to connect with yourself
• You will actually be able to get those tasks checked off of your to do list
• It improves your mood and productivity

Tips and tricks

• Weekends are the best days to try it out as there is no work pressure
• Planning more outdoor time makes it easier
• Books (physical not digital) can make the beach time relaxation so much better
• The most important thing to keep in mind is that the whole purpose of digital detox is to feel good and not to feel angry about being restricted

Do not want to commit to an entire day of detox but still want to reap benefits of it?

• Stop using your phone and laptop at least two hours prior to bed
• Read a physical book for 15 minutes just before sleeping
• Do not touch your phone first thing in the morning
• Take a real lunch break and go for a walk
• Let weekends be about socializing and sight-seeing
• Make your meal times gadget free
• Delete rarely used apps

The oxford dictionary explains digital detox as “A period of time during which a person refrains from using electronic devices such as smartphones or computers, regarded as an opportunity to reduce stress or focus on social interaction in the physical world”