Four Timely Gifts from My Digital Detox

I recently stepped away from my hectic life for a long weekend at the beach to unplug and and give my brain a rest. I left my laptop at home, stayed off all screens, and put my phone to bed for long stretches, only using it for quick, essential tasks. I spent a lot of time napping, reading on the couch, having long, easy conversations with my husband, drawing/journaling, taking sunset strolls and staring out the window at the ocean. 

Several weeks before I noticed how busy my mind had become and how often I was “hopping on my laptop for just five minutes.” I was feeling grumpy and irritable towards my family and team members, and I had lost a lot of my creative zeal. One day, after glaring at the hundreds of emails that were awaiting my reply, I almost threw my laptop against the wall. Clearly, I was ready for a break!

I’ve taken (and written about) digital detoxes for more than ten years. Sometimes these tech breaks were for a day, sometimes for a whole summer in order to finish a book. But this time was different. The sense of urgency that preceded this “off the grid” period was palpable. My mind didn’t just need to re-boot—my body and soul did too. This feeling, I believe, is reflective of the times we’re living in: things are simply moving too fast, and we weren’t designed to operate at this pace or be constantly tethered to digital devices.

After the first 48 hours of being off my laptop and email (my nemesis), I:

• became more playful, spontaneous, relaxed and fun to be around (according to my partner)
• was reminded how quickly I renew when I spend time in the natural world (I have mosquito bites and my skin is glowing from extended time outdoors)
• was more attuned, present and plugged into life: everything looked more vibrant and colorful, all my senses were awake (I also cooked some amazing creative meals)
• was flooded with new ideas and ways of seeing and being

Additionally, I slept better, I was more curious and solutions-oriented and I was reminded of all the things that bring me pleasure: dancing, swimming in wild waters, eating ripe peaches, listening to music, reading great novels and long, lingering nature dates with soulful friends and loved ones. This short digital detox showed me I need to course-correct and can’t continue at the pace I had habituated as normal.

We all need expanses of unscheduled time to dream, process, enjoy “free-range thinking,” and integrate and explore what’s next. And this is very difficult to do when you’re constantly tethered to your phone (check out Yondr, an example of how people are innovating to create phone-free spaces).

As a mindfulness evangelist, “light tech” user and late adopter of all things electronic by choice, I’ve got some new ideas for how I want to shift my relationship to technology. But more than anything I want to remember how radically different I felt during my time offline. It wasn’t just about a mental respite—this unplugged stretch helped me remember I’m a human being, not a human doing.  

Warmly,

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Subscribe here to Live Inside Out, a weekly blog written by transformational coach/author/speaker and self-care evangelist Renée Peterson Trudeau. Passionate about helping men and women live more intentionally and find balance through the art/science of self-care, Renee has been facilitating high-impact, interactive workshops for Fortune 500 companies, national nonprofits/conferences and organizations/teams worldwide for 25 years. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Fast Company, Good Housekeeping, US News & World Report, AARP, Spirituality & Health and more. She and her team have certified more than 450 facilitators in 10 countries around the globe to lead self-renewal groups/retreats based on her pioneering self-care curriculum. She’s the author of several books on life balance including the award-winning The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life. Renee and her husband live in Western North Carolina and they have one son in New York City. Her latest venture is Wild Souls Nature Adventures. More on Renee here.