How to actually have a tech-free day
Hi my dears,
It feels SO GOOD to have breathable air in Seattle again. I feel reborn!
This week I'm turning my newsletter over to my right hand woman Rebecca Van Damm so she can tell you about her experience using my DIY Guide to an At-Home Digital Mindfulness Retreat to enjoy a tech-free day. And she has a lot to say about it!
A couple of other things:
1. I had a great response to my Fall/Winter Survival Guide last week and someone made it into a Google template. Here it is.
2. I've been having some really interesting conversations about aging and ageism in the digital space and Rebecca and I are going to go live on Instagram this Friday, 9/25 at 1pm Pacific time to do a deeper dive on this topic. Come join the conversation @digitalmindfulnessretreats.
Much love to all of you,
Christina
Hey there! Rebecca here.
(This is what I look like, so you know who's talking to you.)
I've been working with Christina on her digital marketing since February and it's been on my mind to give her DIY Digital Mindfulness Retreat a shot since then.
But, as things go, I only JUST got around to it this past Sunday and not a moment too soon.
I'm gonna highlight my favorite parts of the guide, give you some bonus tips that worked for me, and tell you the results I gleaned from the day.
#1: Put it on your calendar. For real.
This is Christina's first step in the guide and it is crucial because, if you're anything like me, you won't really take it seriously unless you've made an appointment.
I knew this day was coming for two weeks, It was the first Sunday I had completely free in a while and I made sure to block it off. Having it on my mind for a couple weeks leading up to the day gave me the space, time, and anticipation I needed to dream about what I wanted it to be and get excited about it.
Also included in this first step is to have set up an emergency contact.
I told my best friend what I was up to and told my parents to call her if there was an emergency and she would just come over to my house if she needed to. I also texted several people the night before to let them know I wasn't ignoring them if they didn't hear from me for 24 hours. This gave me peace of mind, for sure.
#2: Bonus Rebecca Tip: Do your chores the night before.
On Saturday, I took several hours to get down to inbox zero (which I know isn't for everyone, but I need it for my brain), made sure my bills were paid, deep(ish) cleaned my house and did all my laundry (folding and everything) so that I would wake up to a fresh start Sunday morning and not feel any pressure to do anything "productive" with my day.
I can't recommend this enough.
#3: Bonus Rebecca Tip: Figure out your music situation the night before.
If you know you're gonna wanna listen to music at some point during the day (I certainly did) I recommend pulling out one of your old phones, deleting all the apps except your music app, and putting it in grayscale so it's really boring to look at.
If you don't have an old phone (or a CD, tape, or record player) make sure to download some playlists the night before so you can keep your phone in airplane mode.
If you can't trust yourself to keep your eyes off your screen, try this app. If you get the paid version, you can whitelist some apps (like your music) so that you can still access that while the rest of your apps are inaccessible.
#4: Set some intentions.
This is Christina's second step on the guide, and I found it really helpful. I realized that the main thing I wanted to do was rest and read. If I could think of anything that social media robs me of, it's reading physical books. I'm glad I made that note-to-self before the day began.
#4.5: Bonus Rebecca Tip: Don't overdo it with the intentions.
Remember, this is a day of rest, rejuvenation, and creativity. Leave space. Let your mind wander. Find out what you want to do instead of dictating a list of assignments to get to.
Like I said, I set the intention to read. But with all the space and time I had I also took a walk, went roller skating, took a nap, read tarot cards, slow danced with myself while crying in the kitchen then cried some more on the couch, did some restorative yoga to self sooth. That's not something you can put on a list. It's something that arises. Let things arise.
No distractions means you actually have to/get to feel your feelings. And (surprise, surprise) they pass! Probably a lot faster than they would with all the access we usually have numbing out and shutting down.
Results:
My body naturally shifted into bedtime mode around 9pm, which was so relaxing. I read until 10pm and went to sleep like a textbook healthy adult human.
I woke up the next day feeling deeply rested and full of fresh energy.
When I revisited Instagram, it felt silly, loud, messy, and unnecessary — a little wedge in the addictive scrolling cycle. It was nice to be a little annoyed and turned off. Baby steps.
I felt an undeniable urge to do this every Sunday and I think I will. It really wasn't that hard and it made the day seem so much longer and richer.
Was I inundated with text messages when I returned to my phone? Yes.
Were some people perplexed as to why I hadn't gotten back to them sooner? Yes.
Did a quick explanation of what I had been up to ease their concern? 100%. No biggie.
Next time, I'll probably give a few more people a heads up.
I also want to mention that this doesn't have to be a day of social isolation.
My bestie knew I was without a phone. So, instead of texting me, she just popped over to say hi and we had a social distance hang in the yard. Next time, I wanna plan a little nature hike with some buddies in my covid pod. No phone does not mean no contact.
Conclusion: This guide is super helpful. It's chock full of tips and info. So, I recommend treating it like a resource you can revisit again and again, rather than trying to swallow it whole on the first round.
I highly encourage you to take this time for yourself whenever you can. You will not regret the missed text messages. They can wait.
Thanks for reading,
Rebecca
P.S. If you’ve read this far, thank you! I invite you to join my mailing list for occasional musings and updates on retreats and events. I won't spam you, or share your data. Let's start supporting small businesses on platforms they own!