Plan your digital detox holiday
A holiday is not just a break from work and home life, but also the opportunity to quite literally switch off. Going tech-free when you travel allows you to relax more thoroughly and stop relying so heavily on your devices when you return home.
Since many people report that modern technology is a source of stress, you don't want to carry that with you while enjoying the delights of Bali or Ibiza. While simply switching off your phone may sound straightforward, a digital detox can be harder to achieve than you realise.
How can a tech-free holiday benefit travellers?
Not only will a digital detox reduce stress and ensure you take a proper break from work and commitments back home, it will have other benefits too. You'll be able to better connect with your family or the friends you're travelling with if there are not phones and tablets in the way.
You'll find you notice more about the places you're visiting if you're not seeing them through the lens of your phone camera or checking for information online. You might also discover a passion or new hobby, such as sailing or a daily swim, because you're not spending that time looking at a screen instead.
Tips for a digital detox
Go where the Wi-Fi isn't
Pick a destination where Wi-Fi and mobile phone signal are patchy, making it harder to connect to the digital world. An idyllic beach in Bali is a good bet for removing this temptation. Think swaying palms and crashing waves, not Instagram or Facebook.
Switch off from work
Put your out of office on your emails so nobody expects a response from you. If you worry you might be tempted to check your emails out of habit, why not simply delete the app for the duration of your trip? Your annual leave should be a chance to truly distance yourself from work pressures, rather than simply a opportunity to stress about them from a distance.
Get help from professionals
Book a digital detox with a company that will help you stick to it. For example, Dubai is a highly-connected city, but there are tour operators to help you disconnect while quad biking in the desert. If you're particularly dedicated to your devices, consider taking a digital-free retreat dedicated to helping you enjoy the great offline.
Do it as a group
Commit to the cause as a group to lend each other support for staying offline. While you may want to keep your phones on you for use in an emergency, you can set boundaries such as 'no phones at the dinner table' or 'no social media for the duration of the trip'.
Dig out your old camera
Take photos with a camera, so the urge to check your notifications doesn’t take over after snapping a picture of a giant Buddha in Colombo. You can miss so much by looking down at your device instead of at the incredible sights around you.
Remove temptation
Turn off those push notifications altogether before your trip: you don't want a colourful trip to the bazaars of Marrakech to be interrupted by the constant pinging of your Whatsapp.
Invest in a map
Use a paper map to navigate, as if you’ve got your phone out to explore Tenerife you’ll soon be sucked back in to the digital world.
Be accountable
Ban hotdog legs from your friendship group and ask your followers on social media to call you out if you post any cocktail pictures from the beach in Ibiza.
Rewind to the early 2000s
Going old school and only taking a basic phone with you for emergencies will mean you’re unable to give in to digital temptation .
Guide for planning a digital detox trip
