LUX Wellness Week: Digital Detox
We have become a society that is heavily reliant on our smart phones. They are like an umbilical cord at times and it's not nurturing in any way. At one point or another, we are all guilty. But there is a way to diffuse the noise! Browse through these questions...
- Do you reach for your phone while going to bed? And first thing when you wake up?
- Are you THAT person who keeps their phone attached to them through dinner conversations and hang outs with friends, you know... just in case you get a text or alert from Facebook or Instagram?
- Do you have a melt down if you left your phone somewhere accidentally? Like the sky is falling!
- Can you remember the last time you read a paper back book?
- Do you run your own Instagram Documentary?
- Compare your life to others on social media? Keep in mind that what people represent on FB or Instagram may be a whole lot of smoke and mirrors.
... sound familiar?
Here's the deal... we need to dig deeper in this world. Relationships are being neglected and the idea of being present is being drowned out by digital distractions that will only bring you immediate gratification. What we need to strive for is greater productivity and longer stretches of true happiness. The digital world has created constant demands for your attention and energy that we must learn how to moderate in order to survive! Think about it... each year we receive more emails and texts, and access deeper levels of information online. As the pace of the digital world increases there is an expectation that we answer all forms communication ASAP and participate online around the clock. There is NO shutting down when you can get sucked in 24-7 to the brain drain.
Going on a digital detox will help you re-prioritize your life and get back in tune with your own rhythm. It's time to take back the mantra, walk to the beat of my own drum!
Digital Detox Strategy:
- Give yourself a window of time to step back and tune out the noise.
- Spontaneous travel to get back in touch with mother nature: camping, hiking, the beach.
- Unplug to re-charge the deeper levels of your creativity: paint, color, craft, cook a new recipe.
- Go out with a friend and turn your phone off or on silent. Put it on a time out! Each time you reach for your phone your are disengaging from the present moment rather than spending time with the actual human sitting right in front of you.
- Learn to be in each moment, even the uncomfortable ones, is one of the most valuable skills you can practice.
- Document and share less on social media to experience the moment rather and selfishly keep it to yourself, rather than sharing with the world. Keep some things sacred.
- Temporarily disengaging from emails, social media, and projects that keep you online is a wonderful way to recharge and gain perspective. To close the detox set three clear intentions for yourself moving forward about how you want to engage with media. Remember that you're the boss, not your iphone. Sounds silly right? That's just what it has come to people!
