Recipe for a Mini Retreat
Can you remember the last time you did something for yourself?
When I began my own digital detox several years ago, there was an immediate sense of relief. I had no idea how much power my phone had over me. Just having my phone on my desk when I was working would cause me to randomly pick it up to check it. And for what? Honesty I have no idea.
Too much screen time is damaging to our physical, mental and emotional well being. At recent retreats, I've noticed the trend of not being able to put our phones down. I believe our addiction to our screens has gradually worsened over the last year - we were so desperate for information we couldn't stop checking our phones. Guests are grateful for our new policy - designating our dining table and our yoga studio as phone free zones. I believe a break from technology is much needed by many of us and having so much information at our fingertips is not necessarily a good thing!
I began my digital detox by turning off all of the notifications on my phone. With that first step, I realized, I’m in charge again! Not my phone! How many times I'd see the phone light up and I couldn't wait to see what was happening. I started to feel like Pavlov's dog! I had given my phone power over me, sounds crazy to say it, but it was exactly what I did.
I recently deleted social media apps. At first there was a sense of what do I do now? Then I realized I had much more time in my day to engage with my ACTUAL life as opposed to being a voyeur into someone else's life. My dining table has always been a screen-free zone and I have memories of great meals and conversations with my family over the years.
Many women come to Retreat in the Pines seeking a way to “unplug” from their daily lives. Often just getting away to a place where the focus is relaxation and the only thing you really have to do is breathe, is enough. That space allows you to get grounded and settle into a clear head space and calm emotional state. If you’re in need of a get-away, book a retreat with us. Relaxation is easier to achieve when you're away from your daily responsibilities. But what about unplugging while in the midst of daily life? Modern society is hyper-connected, and the tools that were designed to make our lives easier can, in some ways, make our lives more complicated. The apps on our phones often distract us from being fully present in the moment. While it’s almost impossible to completely unplug, there is a new trend in managing the overwhelming and nearly constant stream of information at our fingertips: a digital detox.
A digital detox doesn’t have to be as extreme as it sounds. There’s no need to throw away your cell phone or sell your tablet. The following tips will help you find better balance in your life by keeping you more connected – not to your device, but to the present moment.
These steps go a long way toward simplifying your day-to-day life and cutting the cord with your phone. What finally made me cut the cord, was the realization that my free time is limited - why would I want to waste my precious free time zoning out on my phone? There's so much living to do!