Why You Should Go On A Digital Detox

I just returned from a week of camping at Leo Carrillo State Park. My husband’s family has been camping there for the past 40+ years and it’s become an annual tradition. My husband and I love it because we get to surf, hike, and enjoy being outdoors. Normally each year we are only to make it for a couple days and not for the entire week due to our work schedules. Since this year was going to be Baby Awesome’s first time camping, we really wanted to make sure we could go for the entire week and really enjoy the whole experience. I decided this was a great time to go off the grid and do a digital detox.

Why A Digital Detox?

I work in digital marketing so I’m constantly connected. In fact, I feel like I never shut off. I’m always checking emails, our client’s social media accounts, analytics, creative, responding to messages, and editing / cropping / adding text to images on my phone. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t even enjoy reading the news on my phone anymore because I am on such information overload all the time. I recently saw an image that really struck a chord with me:

This image above may be a parody, but it has really made me realize how unhealthy being on your phone all the time can be. Being hunched over on your phone all the time can create more pressure on your spine and shoulders and lead to a sore back (source).  I know that I am very guilty of this position and I also sit at a desk way too much. There’s also an article that came out last year about how sitting is as bad for you as smoking (source). Ugh.

All this has made me realize that I needed to take a step back and go on a digital detox. I’m great at going on juice cleanses and doing whole 30‘s for my physical health and now I needed to do this for my mental health and well being. My plan was to disconnect and not check my email or social media while I was on vacation. It was AWESOME.  Here are four reasons why you should go on a digital detox.

1) Reconnect with Family and Friends- You get to focus on the people around you and enjoying the time spent with them without worrying about work and things you have to do or should be doing. My husband and I really enjoyed spending time with Baby Awesome and not having to be anywhere or do anything but just be together. It was so healthy for us and fun, too.

2) Lower your Stress Levels- I don’t know about you, but checking my phone can increase my stress levels and always makes me think about what I need to be doing. Not checking my phone means no increase in stress levels. Woo hoo.

3) Enjoy the Great Outdoors- Fresh air is so good for the soul. It was great to be outside and away from technology. I read a book and not one on a Kindle or iPad. It was great. I enjoyed the ocean breeze, the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind, and the birds chirping. These are things we sometimes tend to miss when we’re busy being connected checking our phones or trying to Periscope our experience. My husband and I got to surf everyday. This is something we haven’t gotten to do since Baby Awesome was born and we enjoyed it so much.

4) Focus on the Present- I noticed how often I use a phone as a way to kill time. When I’m waiting in line somewhere I always tend to pull out my phone to kill time. Is it necessary? No. In fact I would be much better off if I took that time to engage with the world around me. Remember what waiting was like before smartphones? We actually had to talk to other people or read magazines. I find this lost art to be something I actually missed and I’m going to try and be more aware of it from here on out. I already did this yesterday when I took Kona to the dog park. I left my phone in the car and tried to stay completely in the present. Normally I’d have my phone out and be answering emails in between throwing the tennis ball with the Chuck It or trying to create a story on SnapChat. This time I just focused on being in the moment and it was awesome.

Now, I understand sometimes it is hard to completely unplug and you have to be available to some extent. I get that. Believe me I do. Even just refocusing for a few hours or only checking in once per day can be incredibly refreshing. I encourage you all to try a digital detox on your next vacation or at some point in the next several months. You will feel great!

What about you? Have you ever done a digital detox? Did you enjoy it? Post in the comments and let me know.