What Does It Mean to Disconnect to Reconnect?

As society continues to rely on digital technology, every single day brings with it distractions from phones, social media accounts, instant messages, and more. Although innovative technology has brought wonderful advancements, finding time to unplug and focus on the real world around us can be challenging.

This is where the philosophy “disconnect to reconnect” comes into play. Many studies indicate that reducing your screentime can have a positive impact on your mental health, so it’s worth doing a digital detox. Below, we walk through the benefits of disconnecting from smart devices and ways you can incorporate this philosophy into your daily life.

Disconnecting means undergoing a digital detox. A digital detox consists of taking a break from using any type of device and instead putting energy into real-life interactions. You might start small, doing a digital detox for one hour a day, and then extending it for a few days at a time. The central goal of a digital detox is to reduce the amount of time you’re looking at a screen so that you can better connect with the world around you.

Whether your goal is to decrease stress, sleep better, improve your mental health, focus on other activities, or just give your eyes a rest, undergoing a digital detox can be greatly beneficial.

Disconnecting from a world of text messages, emails, and social media is not the easiest thing to do, but it brings many proven advantages backed by research. Some of the biggest benefits that you can experience when taking a break from devices include:

• Improved sleep – Many people today are looking at their phones or watching TV before going to bed. Unfortunately, being exposed to blue light late at night can disrupt sleep patterns because it stops your body from producing melatonin. Eliminating blue light exposure at night can allow you to have better quality of sleep.
  
  
• Strengthened mental health – Scrolling on social media constantly can impact your self-esteem and cause negative feelings such as anxiety and depression. Taking a break from social media will help you connect with the real world and not compare your life with others.
  
  
• Enhanced relationships – When you step away from your phone, you’ll have more time to focus on what matters, such as building better relationships with the people around you.
  
  
• Time for your passions – Many say that life moves fast, so making time to do what you’re passionate about is important. Taking a break from devices gives you a lot of time to focus on your hobbies. This leads to feeling more fulfilled and accomplished.
  
  
• Increased happiness – With these benefits combined, a digital detox can lead to an overall feeling of increased happiness!

Undergoing a digital detox can feel like a massive change to your life at first, but there are many strategies you can implement so you can successfully step away from devices and focus on the things that fuel your joy.

• Set a clear goal – Setting clear intentions will help guide you through your detox and let you identify what’s important. Whether it’s evaluating the stresses in your life, rectifying poor sleep, or simply wanting to spend more time with your family, we encourage you to write down exactly what you want out of your detox.
  
  
• Create a schedule for your digital detox – Blocking off time throughout your week when you don’t want to use any technology will help you create new healthy habits.
  
  
• Plan time for healthy activities – By spending less time on your phone, you’ll be able to plan time for activities that are healthy and promote your overall wellbeing.

Some possible activities you can engage in once reducing your screen time include:

Reading Writing Working out Spending time in nature Seeing friends or family

Meditation Learning a new skill Painting And so much more!

To help promote healthy habits and limit your time on your phone or other devices, some tips we recommend include:

• Unsubscribing from newsletters, texts, or emails that you don’t need
• Deleting unnecessary apps on your phone
• Only engaging on social media with purpose
• Practicing mindful walking

One of the best ways to disconnect from the digital world is to enjoy the great outdoors! One study showed that spending over 120 minutes outside per week is correlated with improved health and well-being. This can be done either alone or with friends, but it’s the perfect way to unplug and focus on what makes you happy.

If you’re looking to spend time in nature for an extended period, Birchcliff Resort offers cabin rentals in beautiful Wisconsin Dells. This getaway provides everything you need so you can put your phone down and not look back. Each cabin offers a complete kitchen, grills, a porch, beds and sofas, and more.

Plus, our campground also offers a variety of fun amenities and activities, including:

Pool Playground Hiking trails Petting zoo Basketball court

Tennis court Shuffleboard Beach access Ping pong table

This makes it easy to take part in a digital detox because none of the activities offered involve devices that can distract you from reaching your personal goals. We understand that doing a digital detox can be intimidating and difficult at first, but our resort helps provide the real-life experiences you’re looking for that will make things easier.

The perfect way to kick off your digital detox is to plan something fun and meaningful for yourself. Check out Birchcliff Resort’s variety of cabins and book your device-free weekend today. Contact our team with any questions about our resort.