Do you know how many times a day you check your smart phone or refresh your emails? We bet it's more then you care to admit! In a world where we are constantly being interrupted by 'pings', 'bings', 'buzzes' and 'rings' from the technology we carry around with us, it may be hard to remember what it was like before when we were all a little more disconnected. If you consider yourself to be constantly living in a digital world, then maybe it's time to take part in a digital detox. What is a digital detox? A digital detox is when you switch off all of your technology at the same time, such as your mobile phone, smart phones, iPad or tablet, laptops and PCs and any other digital technology that demands your attention on a daily basis. This can start with just a few hours and then build up to a 24 hour period and beyond. Why digital detox? There are so many reasons why a digital detox can be beneficial to you, and here we name just a few to see if a technology switch off is something you can benefit from: You will gain more time for yourself, pick up a hobby or spend time doing something which involves 100% of your attention. You will remember what it feels like to not be constantly interrupted. It's a challenge! Can you complete the amount of time set as your initial goal? It frees up time to spend with people that you may have neglected recently due to over working, or you can spend time with someone face-to-face that you would usually communicate with digitally. Gives you a chance to step back into 'the real world'. To create memories that aren't just for use on social media. How to do a digital detox... So, now you may be reading this on your tablet, computer or your phone, and yes, we understand the irony but we also hope it has caught your attention. Setting up your digital detox can be a simple process, and we suggest these steps to get you through from beginning to end Decide why you are doing it? What are your reasons for switching off? Do you want to connect with more people face to face? Manage your stress levels? Challenge yourself? Or recharge your batteries? If you live in and rely on the digital world this could be more of a personal battle, whatever your reason is have a clear objective before you start so you can address how you feel when it is over with. Plan your digital shut down. If you are someone who relies on communicating via technology and people expect to be able to reach you at all hours, make sure you make everyone aware that they will not be able to contact you during your hours of down time. This can also be another reason to leave your phone switched off. Do people contact you outside of working hours or on your days off, as they just assume you will always answer? By switching off your phone or emails, you can regain your own time back. So, make people aware and if it's easier, you can even announce it on social media. Once you have put your plans in place, set a time and date and make people aware then you can start making plans with your new free time! Have you wanted to learn something new? Do you want to visit an old friend or explore your home town more? Now is the time to do it. The more plans you make, the less uneasy you will feel when you can't reach for your gadget. We would really recommend getting outside. What better way to reconnect to the world, on a non-digital level - then to go back to nature? Plan a picnic, a walk or set off on an expedition. Being outside can help reset your mind, reduce stress levels and help put things back into perspective. Time to log off. Switch off your technology and put them somewhere safe. Try not to have it lying around as the temptation to have a sneaky peak at your twitter feed may consume you, but this will pass. Get on with your planned non-screen activities and enjoy your regained time! The feeling of no longer being 'on call' may be a strange sensation to start with, but go with it. See if you feel better, sleep better and how many new memories or jobs you can do! When your time away is over, get ready to log back on. Remember the perspective you have gained since being off-line and prioritise what is important. Try and put into practise anything you found out about yourself during your time off. Do you really need to always be on call? Do you really need be constantly checking your social media or emails? Note how you felt, and plan it in again! This time, extend the time a little further and see what else you can achieve. Do you think you need a digital detox, or have you done one already? Let us know on Twitter @Naturisimo_UK. Take some time off and shop here for: Balance and Calm
