Technology, especially the internet and mobile devices, plays such a big part in our lives these days that it can be difficult to imagine (or remember, depending on how old you are) a time without it.
Always Online
Smart phones are now a full decade old, and these really revolutionized things in terms of how much time we spend online. Rather than only connecting to the web at home or at the office, smart phones and then tablets meant we could interact with the internet and social media for just about everything, wherever we may be.
This has certainly made communicating and working a lot easier, as well as making it far simpler to find information, maps, public transport schedules and other useful stuff on the go. However, a lot of people report that the culture of always being online – particularly when it comes to social interactions or work-related things – causes some mental fatigue.
Taking A Break from Technology
Generally, the benefits of being able to use things like smartphones outweigh the negatives, but sometimes the sense of being drained by always being available to whoever wants to contact you and never really being ‘off work’ can reach a frustrating peak.
For a lot of people, the solution is to take some time away without internet access or using their phone, and mentally ‘detox’.
One approach to this that a lot of people use is camping. Reconnecting with nature can allow a tech addict to feel refreshed and ready to step back into the ‘always on’ world after a few days. Camping as a couple, family or group of friends without your tech gear can also allow you to connect better on a more personal level, without the distractions of Facebook or Netflix.
Camping can also be an inexpensive break you can do locally, so it can allow you to fit your tech detox into a weekend and start your working week feeling rejuvenated.
All you really need is a good tent, which you can find reviews for at myfamilytent.com to help you choose sleeping bags and a means of making food, and you can take a relaxing break in nature away from those notification beeps as often as you need to.
Isn’t It Stressful Being Out of Contact?
Some people are perfectly fine with the idea of being completely detached from their online lives for a few days, however others find this gives them anxiety that something important may be going on that they aren’t aware of.
If you are someone who finds the idea of being off social media and your phone scary, then it is still possible to have a tech detox break. Ensure you go somewhere that does have cellphone coverage, and bring your phone, but give yourself some rules, such as only checking in once a day for a certain amount of time just to ease your mind that everyone is OK and nothing important has happened while you weren’t checking your news feed.
A tech detox can be really beneficial in helping to reduce the stress of a busy life, and can also help people reconnect in the ‘real world’ if done together. Why not try it?
