In the past eight months, the world as we knew it has changed in so many ways. Boundaries between real life and the virtual world have blurred to the extent that we don’t know which is which anymore. We are quickly turning into a generation that is completely hooked on online platforms, with children and adults interacting with each other online more often than face-to-face!
Just the other day, we had one of those rarest of rare events; an internet outage coupled with a power blackout that lasted several hours. Most of us were at a loss to get on with doing the things we usually do. Mobile phones ran out of charge, which meant we couldn’t fall back on 4G to stay logged in and functional. And while we heaved a collective sigh of relief when normalcy was restored, this made us realize that we’re all in for digital burnout, sooner than later, and we need to take action to restore some semblance of digital wellbeing while we still can!
A digital detox is very much needed to preserve our mental sanity—and to do this we need to find sustainable ways of keeping ourselves happy and healthy, without turning to any digital screens! How can we do this? Let’s start with our homes.
What Is a Digital Detox, and Why Is It Important?
Just take a look around you, wherever you are, and you will find at least half the people around you on their mobile phones. How long can you stay without checking your messages, googling something online or looking at your Instagram feed? Keep watch over your habits and find out; you might just be appalled to realise that a whole ten minutes away from a screen is a stretch!
Time to take some serious action! A digital detox is a way of fully disconnecting from all digital devices for a certain period of time. This means all gadgets; smartphones, tablets, laptops, Kindles and even the television. You can keep aside a couple of hours every day when you completely switch off from all screens. Use this time to meet friends, do yoga and meditation, read a book or just catch up on your sleep! Refresh and rejuvenate yourself and allow your brain to recover.
Create the Perfect Detox Zone in your Home!
Today, there are luxury retreats that offer digital detox packages for those who really need to get away from it all. But to get on a tech detox and win back the quality of your life, you don’t need to step out anywhere. Here’s how you can turn around your home décor to create a detox zone right at home!
Quiet Bedroom
Your bedroom should always be an oasis of calm where you can de-stress at the end of every workday. Avoid installing a television screen in your bedroom, and strictly ensure that you keep your phone outside the room when you come to bed. That way, you will avoid the temptation of reading messages first thing in the morning and last thing at night! Plan for a bedside lamp near your pillow, and revive the habit of reading good, old-fashioned print books before you nod off to sleep.
Multipurpose Living Room
If your living room doubles up as your workspace, why not invest in a small table that can be folded away out of sight when you’re done with your work for the day? HomeLane’s Wall Mount I Table folds into a wall cabinet that can be used to put away your laptop once you have logged out of work. It frees up your space in the evenings, decluttering your home and your mind!
Try to tuck your TV set out of sight in the living room when it’s not in use, to make your detox complete. Design an entertainment unit with doors to hide the TV, and read this blog for helpful tips on how you can hide unsightly wiring and keep your décor clean!
Work Den
Your den might be the place where you actually do need to work, if you’re working from home like most of us are these days. Set strict work hours and stick to them; don’t make the mistake of being available for work calls after you have signed out for the day. Leave your laptop in the den at the end of the day and resist the temptation to check Teams again in the evening; it will spiral out of control and before you know it you would have spent an additional couple of unproductive hours gazing into your screen yet again!
Set up your den as a completely self-contained zone, have a door that locks you out so that you can enforce a digital detox every evening. Spend time with your family; they need you more than your computer does!
Soul Kitchen
There’s a lot being said about tech-enabled kitchens where you can check recipes on a mini screen, participate in video calls and even talk to your refrigerator as you cook. While all of this sounds very fancy, it results in even more digital dependency. Instead, keep your kitchen free of all gadgets. Be mindful of what you’re doing as you cook instead of multitasking (and possibly burning your meal!). Enjoy what you’re doing and keep your mind calm and free of other thoughts when you’re in the kitchen.
Plan a breakfast counter right next to your kitchen; this is a great way to catch up with your family while you’re cooking.
Garden Nirvana
Take a break from work, go to your garden and just breathe in the fresh air. Reconnect with the earth; get down on your knees and pull out some weeds. Create a small kitchen garden where you can grow fresh herbs, tomatoes, bitter gourd….just whatever will grow without too much fuss! If you have space, create a small waterfall that recycles the water using a solar-powered motor, add a cosy wooden bench and table and enjoy your evening cuppa to the sound of gurgling water.
Balcony Bliss
If you don’t have a garden at home, the next best thing is the balcony. Fill it with plants in pots and planter boxes, and grow a vertical garden on one wall if you can. And what can be more perfect than a pretty macramé hammock, for you to put up your feet and relax? Make sure you leave your laptop, Kindle and phone inside the house while you enjoy the greenery outside!
Quiet Corners
Love to read? Any unused corner in your home can be converted to a reading nook; a quiet corner where you can curl up with a favourite book and forget the world around you! A comfortable armchair is a must, as well as a small side table where you can put down your coffee mug. Snuggle down with a soft, warm throw, and don’t forget to invest in a tall floor lamp that can be focused down to give you ample light.
Ready for a digital detox? Do you have any other ideas for creating the perfect detox space in your home? Tell us in the comments below! If you’d like help with setting up a quiet space in your home, call HomeLane today. We’ve got the right ideas for your home!
