How to do a digital detox

During the Easter we went away for a couple of days. Long road trips, visiting sights and evenings out meant for once I wasn't connected to the internet all day. It also meant no constant notifications for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and multiple email accounts – bliss! As someone whose work is totally based around the digital world I can't keep away from the internet for a large of time. However this little break made me realise how good and needed a digital detox is once in a while. Even the Oxford Dictionary recognises the term 'digital detox' so if you need to break free of the constraints of the modern age here are some tips:

Work hard to play hard – In order to for me to escape for a couple of days I needed to complete all my jobs and posts before I left. Working long hours for three or four days can mean you can escape and experience new things.

Use paper again – I still use a paper diary to plan my work and I have a multitude of notebooks to write down ideas and keep scraps of paper and newspaper cuttings.

Book it – Forget the eReaders and get back to reading proper books. Even spending time looking for new reads will do you good for you be it in bookshop, charity shop or library.

Get outside – We have a number of favourite places we like to go to. A lot of our time at moment is devoted to our allotment where our focus is on completely non-digital activities. We also go out to parks where you struggle to get a phone signal let alone pick up a mobile internet signal.

Put your mobile away – How many times when you stop or sitting down for a moment do you immediately pull out your mobile? Keep your mobile in a bag or a zipped pocket where it is harder to get it out of.

Go on a Digital Detox Retreat - Is your smart phone or tablet the last thing you look at before you go to bed and the first thing you see in the morning? Do you get stressed when you run out of battery on your mobile? If you can't get a Wi-Fi or 4G signal do you frantically pace up and down trying to some sort of reception? If any of these apply to you then you need to think seriously about trying to log off completely for a while. For those who need to disconnect from digital devices there are number of digital detox courses and retreats you can go on.

Does your smart phone rule your life? Do you feel you spend too much time online?

This is a collabrative post.