The Health Benefits of Taking a Break From Technology

There are loads of reasons why we need to take a break from technology. Most importantly, we should take a break for our health.

It was unintentional, as I had no idea there would be no cell service, but I’d booked myself and family into accommodation for a snow trip down south in the snowy mountains of New South Wales where there was no cell service.

And although we did have wifi, the idea that I could use this experience to not have any service on my mobile was actually pretty exciting.

I used the time to enjoy a break from technology, ditching text messages, emails, social media and of course leaving the laptop behind.

It was the best feeling ever to leave the phone in my handbag and not even look once to see if any messages had come through or to see if any urgent emails had come through. And by the end of the weekend, I was recharged from our natural surrounding landscape and actually struggled to get back into the phone to catch up on any missed messages and emails.

As I said, we did have wifi at the house we stayed in, but it was slow. And we had a house of ten people, which is used two kids who of course needed constant access to their iPads (kids today) for entertainment.

So, I used the opportunity to read, relax, take a walk in the countryside and enjoy where we were, appreciating the rural landscape and lifestyle for what it was.

We stayed at a place called Kangaroo Willows, surrounded by Kangaroos and Horses, it was absolutely stunning, right down to the quietness of the fields where you could hear the occasions sounds of the farmers nearby and a dog barking, but generally nothing but the sounds of the water from the nearby creek, the wind from through the grass and the birds singing in the nearby trees.

I was in love with the area and in love with the idea that I didn’t hear anything but nature.

It occurred to me during my mini holiday, I hadn’t had a real break from technology in a really long whilst.

Of course, I am mindful of how much time I spend on the phone especially, and often try to make sure I’m not on it after eight in the evening, but sometimes I am on it catching up on messages I haven’t had a chance to check during the day, when I’ve been busy on the computer all day.

So, to actually have a complete four-day break from technology was simply amazing, especially from my mobile phone. It was so refreshing not to be checking the phone, or hearing it ding with a new call or message being received. Absolute bliss.

Have you ever had a break from technology and stayed on a farmstead where there is no cell service? I’d love to hear about it.