So, what prompted my wish for a detox? As a full-time editor and translator, I am almost constantly chained to my laptop. Don’t get me wrong, I love my work, and perhaps that’s exactly why I rarely let myself fully detach from it. Being around screens — phones, computers, TV — has become so natural to most of us that we forget that it shouldn’t be.
I couldn’t go on like this. As much as I prided myself on being mindful and conscious, I knew social media and my constant use of gadgets were impacting my mental health. I took to scrolling as a way to relax, which only left me feeling more tired. Something had to change. Luckily, I was invited to go to the mountains with my friends and decided to take this trip as a retreat from social media.
Rules I’ve established for the weekend
✅ Delete social media
✅ Work (yes, I took my laptop with me) only in brief sessions
✅ Meditate several times a day
✅ Journal my emotions and observations
Deleting all social media can be challenging
Suddenly, the fear crept in — what if I miss out on something important and won’t be able to reply? What if I don’t see the new pictures of my best friend or my brother’s new video? But then I calmed myself down and really asked myself, “So what actually will happen?”
After thinking about it, I realized that it’s not that scary. A helpful tip came from the book How to Break Up with Your Phone. Catherine Price recommends informing your friends, family, and colleagues about your detox beforehand. This way, nobody gets offended if you don’t reply, and you won’t be anxious knowing that they won’t bother you unless it’s an emergency.
Better yet, Price also suggests encouraging others to join this challenge. It’s easier to stick to a new habit when you’re doing it with someone you like. My girlfriends were on board with the idea, so we decided that posting on Instagram could wait until we return.
By the way, How to Break Up with Your Phone offers a detailed plan on how to quit using your phone in an unhealthy way. Find a summary of the key points here.
Meditation helped me clear my mind and focus
Here’s why I think you should combine a gadget detox with meditation: your mind is likely to start protesting. I noticed this on the first evening of my trip — a desire to rationalize, a tendency to get lost in thought. “So what if I quickly check my Facebook? It’s nothing!” “This idea was unrealistic, let’s watch a few TikTok videos before bed like normal people do.”
Stop yourself. Sit down (or lie down) and try mindfulness meditation. I sat on the mat and began breathing deeply, allowing my thoughts to dissolve. The cabin we’ve stayed in had a breathtaking view of the mountains. Was I really going to waste this time on scrolling? This particular meditation took only 10 minutes.
My friend recommended a book on how to meditate that quickly became one of my favorites. Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics is a great read if you’re just starting meditation or want a no-nonsense approach to it. I highly recommend getting it for yourself or at least reading our summary of it.
Rediscovering the pleasure of being offline
I feel this all the time — the desire to stay connected to the latest news, new posts, reply to all the comments, and follow trends. Even when I go out with friends, our phones are always attached to our hands or staring at us from the dinner table. Notifications have replaced the singing of birds and peaceful silence.
For this weekend, I journaled to recall what it was like to be a child in the era before everyone was chronically online. Turns out, there is so much to do! You can draw, play board games, read by the fireplace, go on a long walk by the river… How did I forget that life can be so peaceful?
Sure, we can’t go offline completely for the rest of our lives. But life is so much more than meeting work deadlines and numbing yourself with social media. I decided to dig deeper into this feeling by reading about being in the moment. So far, my favorites are The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn. These books can help guide you in staying present and appreciating the beauty of life.
What now?
I would be lying if I said I would never use social media or the Internet again in my life. And I believe such a radical approach is unnecessary. However, this weekend has shown me a better way to approach my day and taught me a great deal about my relationship with gadgets. Here are my intentions, hope they’ll inspire you too:
No gadgets for an hour before going to bed and after waking up. I’ve noticed that it’s easier to fall asleep when you’re not staring at a screen before that. And in the morning, it’s much more pleasant to start your day intentionally.
No phone when I’m spending time with family and friends. This habit helps me to be more present when I’m communicating. I also consider it respectful to pay more attention to the person next to you than to your notifications.
Offline meetings over texting or sending each other videos. Sure, I still send that funny meme to my sister and laugh when we exchange messages about it. However, the famous 80/20 principle applies here: I want to make 80 percent of my interactions with the people I love to be offline. It’s inspiring to create memories together in the world, rather than watching videos of bloggers who do it.
We become influenced to keep staying online, to continue constantly keeping up. But remember, the way you live is almost entirely up to you. Take the chance to influence how you feel daily — focus on what matters most and eliminate the things that only waste your time. Take a detox and you’ll see that it’s worth it!
Photo credits:
- Photo by Ashlyn Ciara on Unsplash
