Hi Warriors! I’m back from a once-in-a-lifetime 10 day vacation / 2nd honeymoon (celebrating 25 years of marriage!!! :)) Holy Moly… definitely something to celebrate (5 years of separate colleges PLUS 25 years of marriage … that’s no joke ;))…
But my husband and I do joke that if Facebook was around in the 80’s/early 90’s we would have never made it through 5 years of college!
As awesome as technology is, it can get in the way of healthy relationships.
Similar to unhealthy substances like caffeine, alcohol, sugar, cigarrettes… “healthy addictions” to things like exercise and running can consume people’s lives. There’s even a name for when healthy eating turns into an obsession – “orthorexia”… too much of a good thing.
It’s a fine line.
Same with social media and our smart phones… an epidemic addiction to “likes” that can get us in trouble.
I didn’t come up with the digital detox idea. But when I read about it, I’ll admit I got excited at the thought of unplugging and checking out for a little while.
As a yoga teacher and a health coach, having a public profile is key. But even more important is being in the moment, connecting with people in front of you and having personal space to contemplate.
I remember during one of my health coaching school lectures, hearing Danielle LaPorte say something like “if Instagram is the first thing you think about it the morning, you have a problem.” And although Instagram doesn’t usually cross my mind first, it was eating into the peace of my morning routine.
Reality check.
Disconnecting is a great way to reconnect…
So I decided to take a 10 day “digital detox” break from social media while I was traveling with my husband to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.
Here are two quick clips I filmed in the midst of the “detox”…
While I did use my phone daily (mostly to check WhatsApp to see how my puppies were doing ;)) … I didn’t post to or really even look at Facebook or Instagram for 10 days… and I only sent four emails (two of which were digital post cards to my mom and sister).
So my iPhone time was very limited for a 10-day span (although I did “talk to my phone” while I recorded several videos for you all on my Flexible Warrior Youtube channel) … I mean, how could I NOT do that. The scenery in Bora Bora was outrageous and it was a once in a lifetime trip, so I think I would have regretted not capturing some videos there.
What I noticed most during the 10 Day Digital Detox is that I felt more present, creative, adventurous… and dare I say happier?!
Easy to say I felt all those things because I was on vacation. But the truth is, I’ve taken vacations where I still check my phone and post, and it’s just not the same. There is a whole other level of calm and presence that comes when I’m not thinking about posting or sharing.
Imagine … getting up in the morning, making your tea, saluting the sun, and listening to your thoughts in nature. Imagine going about your day without the distraction of checking your phone or sharing your pics or thoughts. It’s so liberating and healthy.
To me, it wasn’t about not using technology. I still recorded plenty. We took tons of pictures, videos, and broke in my new Go Pro while we snorkeled with sharks, swam the coral reefs, went 4-wheeling, hiking and stand up paddle-boarding … The main difference was I didn’t post while on vacation… So I didn’t feel pressure to keep up with replying to comments or spending my time and energy looking at what other people were doing. For 10 straight days it was just me and my husband (like it was the 1990’s again 🙂
Here are five things I learned from digital detox…
1) Look less & live more. I love my iPhone and honestly I missed it a little. But I got a lot more actual living done when I left my iPhone in the safe for the day.
2) Set your own rules. You know I’m all about flexibility… whether it’s diet, exercise or a digital detox. For me, not posting for 10 days was very refreshing. But I would have been stressed if I didn’t check in with my family and dogs for 2 weeks (maybe sad, but true).
3) Detach more. Being phone-free for a few hours is refreshing. I think I’ll leave my phone in my car, in my purse or even at home more often. So I can really see, hear, feel and listen without distraction.
4) Alignment. It’s a lot easier to have your head in alignment with your spine when you’re not looking at your phone. I know it may sound silly, but I do worry about people’s posture and the effects all this slumping and staring will have over time on our eyes and posture.
5) Set Boundaries. Just because my business is online doesn’t mean I need to be available 24/7. Morning is my favorite time of day, so I’m excited to not look at my phone until AFTER my morning ritual (this was my biggest ah-ha :))
OK, that’s a quick wrap up of my digital detox. Maybe you’ll join me next time?
PS Get a free chapter of my book when you sign up for my enewsletter. Plus you’ll get a free e-book with 5 Recipes to Detox from Sugar!
XO & Namaste
Karen Dubs
