While today may be black friday, it’s also a great day to take a little digital detox. If your inbox and message look anything like mine–you may be feeling a little overloaded. 

It can be a helpful time to reflect on your impulses and habits as you engage with your emails, texts and social media. 

Do you feel pulled to say yes to things you don’t even need just because they’re on sale? 

Can you glide past your hundreds of messages without getting pulled in or overwhelmed?? 

Can you prioritize sales on what you need and would still buy anyways without overspending? 

How do you feel after you make a purchase? Scroll endlessly? Stay up later than maybe you and your body need? 

Every day and each situation is an opportunity to build your awareness and commitment to who you are and who you’re choosing to become. 

**What would be most helpful and possible for you as a break away from your device?**

Could you go on a 20 minute walk without your phone, can you leave it in the other room while you workout, or spend time with your children, or cook a meal or journal? 

Can you place it in a drawer for a few hours or even a whole day or weekend? 

There may be some systems you need to set up in order to do this. 

I’m on vacation this week and I accidentally left my phone behind. I thought I packed it in my carryon and instead it was on the kitchen counter. 

I actually really enjoyed not having it for a few days. If you had asked me to leave it behind however, I would’ve said no. I can’t because of (list of multiple fully rational reasons why…)

You always get what you need. Instead of being stressed out, I just said thank you. My body chose for me to help me refocus and be present. I had the opportunity each time I felt pulled to reach for my phone to notice why. 

What was I grabbing it for? Mostly it was to take pictures of my daughter. Sometimes it was to capture an idea or voice note. And, to my surprise I didn’t feel addicted to having it as much as I thought. But, I do notice how often Chloe sees it as I take pictures and videos which is a habit I want to be so much more intentional about.  

I knew one of my intentions for this trip was to gain clarity on a few things and recharge. 

Ultimately, technology serves us best when we’re focused and intentional about how we can use it rather than just reaching for it or losing countless time on it.

Ask yourself: “What am I really wanting from checking my phone right now? How am I interacting with my devices? Are they always on? Accessible?” 

Is a device the only way to achieve what you want right now? 

If so, can you use it in a focused way to serve your outcome? 

I’m reminded how helpful having an intention is with everything we do. 

Without a clear intention you’re always at the effect of whatever the situation around you is. 

I used to consistently and intentionally do a digital detox daily, weekly and a more intense one quarterly. 

Today, my goal is to encourage and inspire you to take a time out from devices (or anything that may be a distraction for you) to refocus on what’s most important to you. 

As holidays and resolutions are around the corner, it’s time to up your self-care, presence in all you do and a clear intention on what you want and love. 

It’s not just about a moment of instant gratification and a dopamine hit. 

Your fulfillment comes from your presence, purpose and connection.

FILLING YOUR TIME WITH UNPRODUCTIVE AND UNINSPIRING TASKS WILL LEAVE YOU FEELING DRAINED, DEPLETED AND LOWERS YOUR OWN FEELING OF SELF-WORTH.

Ultimately, in addition to time away from our devices, it’s time truly spent with yourself, loved ones and focused on your highest priorities that’s the antidote to getting sucked into a tech craze and an endless time suck. 

Another aspect of being in your flow is using technology to your benefit. 

A few helpful tips when you do use devices: 

1. Keep your phone off wifi and bluetooth as often as possible. EMF’s have many side effects (most still unknown or not common knowledge). They affect stress levels, anxiety, fatigue, headaches and more. 

2. Seek a grounded hardwired connection when you can. 

3. At night, charge your phone long before bedtime so you’re away from your device. You can use this time for anything that’s meaningful for you. A warm bath, connection time, reading, journaling, meal prepping, a sensory activity that’s calming, maybe knitting, drawing, dancing, moving in a slow way…

4. At bedtime, turn your phone on airplane mode and in settings turn off your wifi and bluetooth. When you turn everything off and disconnect properly, you give your body a better chance to rejuvenate and have a healthy production of melatonin. 

If it’s not plugged in and not connected, you can use it for your alarm. This personally works for me because I like to capture notes if I wake up with an idea or voice note early in the morning with a stream of thoughts or content I want to share. 

5. Keep your phone brightness down and on nighttime mode all day. I like it as warm as possible and you can wear blue blockers, too. 

6. If you like to fall asleep with frequencies or music, I invite you to download it or voice note it so you can listen without the internet. 

Are you ready for even more intentional use of your devices??

With love,

Laurin