Digital Detox 101
Despite using science and technology to make our lives much better, there are instances that we tend to put it to wrong use. No one can deny that it has become an integral part of our lives, that we can become unease without our smartphones glued to our hand and when not connected to the World Wide Web.
We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us.
-Marshall McLuhan
In today’s modern world, our lives revolve around our digital devices and we spend most of our time in front of one screen or two. We always carry our smartphones in our pockets and check on them multiple times – to keep track and become updated with whatever is happening around us (Hello, Social Media!).
Speaking of Social Media, for majority of us, it has become a part of our daily routine. We wake up to it checking messages and notifications and spend some hours browsing through our phones before we sleep. According to one recent study, an average person checks their phone 200 times a day – that is once every six and a half minutes or 9 hours a day. It is not surprising that health experts are now stressing on the harmful effects of too much tech!
What is a Digital Detox?
According to Google, the term detox describes “…a process or period of time in which one abstains from or rids the body of toxic or unhealthy substances”. Therefore, a digital detox is where we switch off our digital devices and take a break away from them. It may sound pretty simple but in a world where we have got used to being constantly connected, this can be challenging to do. Digital detox allows us to disconnect from the world, to de-stress and reconnect with ourselves and with those around us. It allows us to DISCONNECT TO RECONNECT.
Benefits of a Digital Detox
Digital detox has been found to be advantageous in so many ways promoting better sleep quality, feeling re-energized and a healthy work-life balance. Here are some of the documented benefits of a digital detox:
Real Connection with Others – When you are not connected to the Internet and staring at your screen, you are able to be with those around you and cherish every moment spent with them. You will have a face-to-face interaction, a real human connection.
Being More Present and Mindful – You become more in the moment when you do not have a phone to constantly check on. There is no distraction and you just become more into the present. Just imagine a time when nothing buzzes or vibrates in your pockets. How does that sound?
Being More Focused – Many of us get distracted when we receive constant pop up notifications on our mobile phones. Perhaps when have a task at hand or a project to work on, we are likely to lose our concentration since we feel that there is a need to check on them. Through a digital detox, it helps us to stay focused on whatever we are doing without interruptions from our mobile devices.
Better Sleep Quality – Many of us are on our phones before bedtime and many of us do not know how deleterious it can be. Studies have shown that being exposed to the blue-and-white light emitted by our phones and other electronic gadgets at night prevents our brains from releasing melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone which is responsible for telling our bodies that it is time to sleep. Doing a digital detox can just help you reset your body clock so it gets back to normal. Less time spent on mobile devices, more hours of sleep.
At Navutu Dreams Resort & Wellness Retreat, our guests have the opportunity to rest, relax and really get away. We encourage our guests to have a tech-free vacation (detoxing from technology) while staying at our resort and wellness retreat in Siem Reap, to get outside, explore, see, feel, taste and experience what the destination has to offer. We want them to fully relax and enjoy the sights, the culture and savor every moment of their well-deserved break.
Our guests can also complement their stay with one of our wellness offers, perhaps a detox for the mind, a meditation session with one of our wellness experts, forest bathing which is a simple practice that helps you enhance your health or a yoga mini-break to help you slow down and bring back your balance.
