Our body detoxifies through the liver regularly. Our organs have to be rid of the toxins that enter our system so that our bodies continue to function well. The same principle holds true for a digital detox, when our senses need to take a break from all the distractions that television, gadgets and the internet bring to our lives. We could end up suffering a tech overload, which could affect our work and relationships.
Below are some ways to truly unplug when you're on vacation:
1) Plan to vacation in a place that specializes in digital detoxification. Ask friends for recommendations or check the list from the Travel Channel or CNN.
2) If traveling to places that are isolated and far isn't budget-friendly for now, then make the effort to be unreachable, even if you're just a few miles away. To stay motivated, ditch your phone and other gadgets and arm yourself with books, coloring, or craft materials to keep yourself occupied while on vacation. Also ditch the digital camera and use a disposable camera, which works simpler and will help keep your detox on the right track.
3) If you've already chosen a place, have an itinerary. Do you know which places to visit or do you have activities lined up? This may be a good time to enrich your hobby or learn something new, too. If you're into biking, learn where the best trails are in the area. If you're into food, why not venture the streets to sample local flavor? Incorporate all of these in your planning.
4) Wean yourself from the detox at least a week ahead of your vacation by making it a habit of turning off your gadgets and reducing your screen time at night.
5) At work, begin to make preparations as well and take care of matters and deadlines before you go on hiatus so that you won't have to worry about this on your holiday.
6) Tell people ahead of time that you're going to be on vacation. Don't forget to set up the out-of-the-office message on your email or voicemail. People might assume you're only going to be out for a day or two, or worse, try to track you down. In your message, don't forget to include whom they can contact while you're on vacation.
7) Only provide your contact details to one or two people. Instruct them to reach you only for extreme cases and emergencies.
"I think our society really needs a digital detox," said Randi Zuckerberg, the sister of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, via The Australian. "We've become so plugged in that the pendulum is switching back and we're starting to think about how to reset batteries, how do we reclaim time."
"At the end of the day, all technologies are either just hardware or software. They are not good or bad, it's how we use them," she added.
