A physical detox is always a good idea for your body’s health, but have you considered a digital detox for your mental health?

Digital detoxes are on the rise, and people are now going on technology free retreats to cleanse the body and mind with distraction free real-life adventures and down time.

GIVE YOURSELF A DIGITAL CLEANSE – Start with a digital staycation

POWER DOWN an hour before bed and read a book, take a bath, have a conversation, or write in a journal.

TURN YOUR PHONE TO VIBRATE when you go for lunch, have coffee or head out for dinner.  It’s just an hour or two and using the vibrate option will let you know if there is an emergency so you can stay focused on the conversation.

CHOOSE ONE DAY and turn off the home WIFI; if you have data for your cell phone to use for emergencies.  Without WIFI you’ll be forced to find another means of doing things. 

THE BENEFITS OF A DIGITAL HOLIDAY?

MIND CALM – quiet without any beeping, pinging and ringing notifications.  You mind is free to just experience blissful quiet.

SIMPLICITY – Return to reading a paperback, or other hard copy book. Reach for a magazine or print based cookbook instead of a scrolling through a screen.  Let your mind wander and daydream.  Have a conversation without distractions and when you take photos, let them be just for yourself and not things to post on social media.

SHIFT FOCUS – now that technology is not within reach, notice how much you’ve come to depend upon it?  What did you do before you picked up your cell phone … to read … search for information … say hi to someone … take a photo … order food … watch a show … find where you’re going … look at a family photo … read a book? Make choices based off something other than technology.

DECLUTTER YOUR MIND

If you want to clear your head of noise, you’ll need to sit quietly and maybe listen to some brain food (concentration music or sounds) A quick internet search will yield a vast array of music streaming.

Allow thoughts to filter through your mind.  Don’t stop any of them or let them damn up and clutter your mind.  When you try and stop your thoughts, you lead yourself into mind loops where your thoughts end up on a treadmill, and soon you’re reliving, rethinking, and second guessing the past, present, and even the future. 

To clear your head, you need to let your thoughts flow in and out until your mind is clear. Think of your mind like a river and your thoughts are water.  Clearing head noise is a watershed where the water flows in and out, leaving calm, peaceful, and a restful stillness behind.

WHAT IS A SOUND BATH?

A sound bath, according to a Very Well Mind, is a meditative experience where those in attendance are “bathed” in sound waves. These waves are produced by various sources, including healing instruments such as gongs, singing bowls, percussion, chimes, rattles, tuning forks, and even the human voice itself.

Sound baths can help if you have a hard time connecting with traditional meditation or yoga but want to experience similar benefits. If you tend to overthink things or have excessive thoughts that make it difficult to meditate in a more traditional way, a sound bath could be right for you.

Try this Chakras (energy centers in your body that correspond to specific nerve bundles and internal organs) sound bath for healing. https://youtu.be/mHS5HeJmnDI

Weightless. This piece of music has been scientifically proven to reduce blood pressure and decrease blood levels of cortisol (“the stress hormone”) according to the MindLab Institute. It starts at 60 beats per minute and steadily slows down to 50, all the while your heart rate gradually matches the slowing beat. The intervals between notes produce a sense of relief, and unsystematic chimes prompt deeper relaxation. Finally, low sounds and hums reminiscent of Buddhist chants put you in a trance-like state.

Who knows if it will work for you, but it sure sounds worth a try. WEIGHTLESS ON YOUTUBE

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