Learn to Embrace the Digital Detox
Learn to Embrace the Digital Detox
From meditation that lets you shake it off a la Taylor
Swift to unplugged weekends that help you deal with smartphone withdrawal, our
guide to the digital detox
By Javier Espinoza
Updated Jan. 1, 2015 7:10 p.m. ET
I’M IN A SMALL ROOM, surrounded by total strangers,
shaking my body. It’s not a nightmare but my eyes are definitely closed. My
knees are also slightly bent as I move my arms and upper body to the rhythm of
the instrumental New Age music.
I used to think meditation was all about staying
still—until today. Joining in everything from gentle swaying to meditative
walking, I find the five-hour introductory course at London Meditation (£95;
london-meditation.co.uk) both bizarre and entertaining. But with my phone
locked away, I actually manage to let go at times, forgetting about the world
outside and the incessant urge to check email, Twitter and Instagram.
“With body shaking [meditation], we let go of tension and
discomfort in our bodies,” says Susann Herrmann, our teacher and the founder of
London Meditation. “Let the body decide what it needs.”
As I let my body shake and shake and shake for over 10
minutes, I start to question my decision to attend. How will I survive five
hours? “The mind makes comments like ‘this is not meditation,’ ” says Ms.
Herrmann, who was a banker in her native Germany before eventually starting
London Meditation with Albert Tobler in 2005. “Shake your thoughts out, drop
back to the body and feel.” I’m trying.
New years are new chances to try the things you never
thought you would and the things you always said you would. Increasingly, those
include ways to incorporate a little more peace and quiet into our busy lives.
But if shaking it off a la Taylor Swift isn’t quite your thing, you can still
find ways to step back from this digital world without ever missing a beat.
After attending a retreat in the Sahara last year, Lucy
Pearson and Vikki Bates came up with the idea for Unplugged Weekend (£250;
unpluggedweekend.com). At their three-day retreats in the British countryside,
participants trade smartphones for smarter life choices: exercise, art and
face-to-face conversation, as well as tips and tricks on regaining balance.
Life hacks include weaning yourself off social media by logging off sites on
multiple platforms and turning off notifications to minimize distractions.
“People don’t think they are addicted to technology
because it’s so ingrained in our everyday life,” says Ms. Bates, who sets specific
times for checking email. In California, Camp Grounded (campgrounded.org)
offers similar experiences.
Niall Campbell, an addiction consultant at London
treatment center Priory Hospital, says those concerned about the amount of time
they’re spending on technology should ask themselves a key question: How are
the things you’re doing impacting your life?
“People don’t often recognize the effect their behavior
has on them and those around them,” says Mr. Campbell. He concedes that
identifying an addiction to technology is difficult, but adds that “as the
access to technology becomes easier, it will become more apparent.” At Priory,
Internet addiction treatment for those with significant issues includes an
individual rehabilitation program that costs around £1,500 for 10 to 15
sessions. (priorygroup.com)
How many times have you checked your phone today? Chances
are it’s more than you’d expect (after all, you do live in the 21st century).
Here, three easy ways to monitor—and decrease—your usage.
Phone Addict: This easy-to-use Android app monitors the
time you spend on a portable device (tablet or phone). It tracks historical use
as well as maximum use on a particular day—showing you just how glued to your
phone you are. For added accountability, there’s also a tool that allows you to
share the extent of your addiction with others on social media—though it
doesn’t yet allow for comparisons with other users. Free; play.google.com
Moment: This iOS app allows you to monitors how many
times you pick up your iPhone or iPad each day and provides a breakdown of when
you’re on your device. You can set a daily usage limit—anything from 5 minutes
to 6 hours—and the app will send you a message alerting you if you’ve gone past
it. These can get annoying if you’ve exceeded your limit substantially—which, I
suppose, means it’s doing its job. There is a drawback, however. The app needs
to track the places you go to track your phone use, which means considerable
battery consumption. £2.99; itunes.apple.com
Nophone: This isn’t an app but an actual phone—or rather,
a nophone. Meant to work as a substitute for any mobile device, it has the
shape and look of a smartphone. But in reality, it’s just a piece of plastic
for you to hold. Addiction proof, it will save you from having to constantly
look for a power socket. $12; nophone.myshopify.com
If checking yourself into a clinic seems too drastic, a
trip to a monastery might be your ticket to unplugging this year. In Wales,
Caldey Abbey’s St. Philomena guesthouse (caldey-island.co.uk ) offers a respite
from the vicissitudes of the modern world. Open from Easter until October, the
retreat center on Caldey Island keeps in line with Cistercian practices:
visitors are asked to work, helping clean up and making their beds, and payment
is by donation.
At Assisi Retreats in Italy, you can sign up for six-day
guided or self-guided retreats at the four-star country villa. The program
includes morning and evening meditation, with time in the day to head into
town, where reminders of that great contemplative, St. Francis, abound. The
four guest rooms are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, and meals
aren’t included. (From €635 for guided retreat with accommodation;
assisiretreats.org )
But you don’t have to travel miles to reassess your
relationship with technology. Some of the most effective ways to digitally
detox are, not surprisingly, the simplest: Buy an old-fashioned alarm clock,
take a bath, switch to paper (remember those things we call books?), play a
game.
After attending Unplugged Weekend last summer, Berni
Britton says she’s cut back on the time she spends on her phone. “I don’t text
people straight back,” she says, “and we play board games or talk more in the
house.”
Back at London Meditation, I haven’t heard the ding of a
text arriving in hours. But I’m feeling less anxious about the lack of constant
updates. I find the silent break, where we eat snacks and drink tea on our own,
utterly refreshing and my fears of five hours becoming an eternity have faded.
In fact, I’m surprised at how quickly time passes as we’re guided through this
taster course on meditation. As we get ready to leave, Ms. Herrmann sends us
off with some advice: “You shouldn’t do body shaking in public.” No worries
there. The second I’m out the door, I check my phone. No messages.
Addicted to Technology? Four Classic Types of Over-Users
THE OVERSHARER
Diagnosis: My dog just barked! My cat just meowed. :) ;)
<3 almost="" also="" and="" anything="" are="" character="" country="" crosses="" everything="" filter="" fond="" from="" hat="" have="" in="" instantly.="" internal="" latest="" live="" mind="" no="" o:p="" of="" online="" oversharer="" posting="" quiz="" results="" rozen="" seems="" sharing="" should="" taken="" that="" the="" their="" they="" to="" ve="" very="" you="">
Remedy: Out of all the online addicts, these need the
most help. Remove smartphone and other devices—prying them from their hands if
necessary—until they seek medical attention.
THE LIKER
Diagnosis: Liking everything on Facebook and Instagram,
or favoriting tweet after tweet can become an addiction. It’s just so good and
so easy! From a link about the latest burger joint to open to random posts from
childhood friends they haven’t seen since 1981, the liker will like it every
time.
Remedy: Every time you hit that Like button, put aside a
dollar. At the end of the week, give all the money to the person you like the
least.
THE REFRESHER
Diagnosis: In a constant state of expectation, the
refresher can’t help checking their work inbox incessantly. At home, it’s no
better; phone in hand wherever they are, they tap Mail, Twitter, Instagram and
news feeds in an endless cycle. Online, they refresh and refresh pages as if
some big news or something out of this world is about to happen. The sad
reality is it rarely does.
Remedy: Stop, in the name of love, before you break your
phone. Think it o-o-over.
THE COMMENTATOR
Diagnosis: Can’t see a Facebook post without adding a
comment? Feel the need to be the first to made a witty statement about that
cute cat dressed like a giraffe? Just HAVE to share the best video in the whole
entire world? Then we’re talking to you. Sadly, you’re too busy commenting to
notice.
Remedy: Next time you feel like you have to comment on a
post, pinch yourself (hard).
Write to Javier Espinoza at javier.espinoza@wsj.com
Comments
Post a Comment