digital-detox

My Digital Detox

Lifestyle
8 years ago
3 minutes

We are reliant on technology - well I am at least. 

I own two Apple Macbooks, an iMac, an iPhone 6 (with an iPhone 6s Plus on pre-order), an Apple TV, as well as an Apple Watch - yes I actually own one, and I love it.

Suffice to say, I’m an apple-nut, but more importantly, I am always ‘connected’ and available - and it does get tiring.

I read an article on how a South Korean digital-detox boot camp for children, and thought, ‘spring is here, let’s try and welcome it with a bit of change, by seeing if something like this works, but unlike the camp, I had to show a little more willpower.

So, I turned them all off; the phones, the computers, the watch - all of it. I was unplugged, and no longer connected, and at first I loved it…then I started to get restless, checking my iPhone, and subsequently my apple watch, but there was nothing there - just a mere tan-line of where my apple watch used to be.

I know what you’re thinking, ‘how on earth did I cope?’, but I did, and here is what I learnt...

  • You don’t need to know everything. Even when I was disconnected, I’d think of questions such as ‘Do Vegans breast feed their babies?’ and was unable to Google the answer…
  • Commit to it. Don’t do it unless you really want to - there is nothing worse than doing something that you don’t truly want to do, and no one likes a quitter.
  • Get back into reading. Whilst I have always remained a reader, despite my tech-addiction, it was nice to have that uninterrupted 80 page reading session, without the ultimate distraction. I was also far more efficient.
  • Get outside. Spring is here, and all of us are vitamin D deficient - so soak it up, all you need is 15 minutes of sun on your face and arms, and your body should do the rest.
  • There is nothing worse than being a stinker of a mood, so walk it off. Instead of lounging around watching Netflix whilst simultaneously and numbingly scrolling through my Facebook feed, I decided to go for a casual stroll along the beach over sunset, and I arrived back home with a sense of clarity and patience which I had lacked for weeks.
  • Meditation. Something I have been doing for nearly six years now, and has changed my life. Whether you do it with Buddhist undertones or reason, or just for general wellbeing, meditation is scientifically proven to lower heart rate, increase patience and tolerance, and also provide clarity of thought.
  • Balance. It is becoming increasingly, and borderline, impossible, to become tech-detached these days. Jobs and livelihoods rely on it, so make sure that your usage of it is balanced, and that you continue to engage with people.

Whilst my digital detox didn’t last long, it did teach me a few lessons - and whilst I love and embrace the advancement of technology, I realised for the first time in what seems a while, that I can function without it. 

Spring is here, so enjoy it.