02 Apr Disconnect to Reconnect: Benefits of Not Using Mobile Phone

If you stop for a moment and watch the world pass you by, you will notice people with their mobile devices clung to their hands, heads down absorbed in the screen or headphones in distracted by media madness. In today’s age, technology is an integral part of life, work, socializing, news, events, or just getting from A to B. But increasingly, people are becoming so fixated on being connected virtually that they lose touch with real human connection or just living in the present moment.

There are definitely times when we are required to be connected and technology does come with its benefits. The trick is to introduce balance into your life and unplug now and then so that you can have a healthy relationship with technology and reconnect with the real world around you.

Here are some tips to help you reconnect by disconnecting:-

Phone free catch-ups

If you are heading on a dinner date or a catch up with friends and family, leave your phone at home or turn it off and hide it away in your bag. Often our devices are needless distractions from truly enjoying quality time with friends and family. Keeping your device at home will ensure you-you are distraction free, truly present and will encourage quality human connection.

Visit off-grid locations

Disconnecting will often help you feel more in tune with yourself and will give you space and time to enjoy activities you may not have made time for if you were busy catching up on emails. Plan regular hiking trips or holidays to destinations which have limited or no internet access. This will force to disconnect, you can’t check your latest status update if there is no connection!

Charge your phone in another room at bedtime

We are all guilty of scrolling down our Facebook timelines in bed and checking our phones as soon as we wake up. To avoid this, try charging your devices in the kitchen so it’s not at your fingertips at bedtime. Not only will this ensure you get a better nights sleep, it will also help you be less reliant on your mobile devices and will provide some healthy phone free space.

Schedule tech-free time

Actively scheduling tech-free time can do you the world of good. Having the space to think, ponder and absorb the environment around us instead of being constantly entertained by our devices can reinvigorate the mind, body, and soul. Perhaps it’s phone free Saturday or an hour tech-free each day. You decide!

Find alternatives

Do you like facebook for socializing? Do you like gaming for the competition? Do you like youtube for the storytelling? Once you realize what it is you are craving for your technology then you can begin to find alternatives. For example, instead of watching a youtube documentary, why not read a book? Or instead of messaging your friends on facebook, why not organize a potluck dinner?