You are reading this article on a device screen, where notifications, calendar reminders, or urgent calls might pop up simultaneously.
If you are tired of the endless information noise and want to take a break and immerse yourself in offline activities, these seven tips are for you. Don’t worry—you don’t have to move to the countryside.
Tip 1: Finish Work on Time and Turn Off Notifications
“Do Not Disturb” is one of the most useful features on our gadgets. Keep only close contacts in your favourites, and activate this mode when you finish work. All questions and tasks can wait until tomorrow, allowing you to disconnect from the online mode and the anxiety of notifications.
Tip 2: Plan Evening Activities
This tip can trick your brain: if you schedule a meeting in advance, write it down, and add it to your calendar, you will be less tempted to skip it. Choose entertainment for each evening: meet with friends and family, go to the theatre, or just walk nearby. Don’t forget to turn off unnecessary notifications.
Tip 3: Find an Offline Hobby
With the arrival of warm weather, it’s a great time to find an activity you enjoy: try a new sport like tennis, baseball, or horseback riding, or engage in more peaceful activities like hiking, birdwatching, or picnics in the park. Non-virtual activities will help strengthen your connection with the surrounding world, make new acquaintances, and restore inner peace.
Tip 4: Minimize Time on Gadgets
Monitor how much time you spend on each device and analyze how you can use some of that time differently. Use your free time to explore the world and make new connections. For example, during your commute to and from the office, you can distract yourself by looking at the streets and faces outside the window, and during lunch, chat with a colleague.
“We navigate a flow of communications with colleagues and partners daily in chats, emails, or Zoom calls. So sometimes, it’s especially nice to step away from the virtual world, interact face-to-face with friends and acquaintances, and meet new people,” said Ekaterina Demkina, Executive Director of RAEC and organizer of RIF.
Tip 5: Focus on Detoxing
To truly take a break from devices, you need to focus on it. Identify situations when working with devices causes anxiety or when you mindlessly scroll through social media. Analyze the reasons and approach what you want to change more consciously. You can use a journal for reflection or paper habit trackers to monitor behaviour changes.
Tip 6: Make Your Vacation a Real Vacation
Turn off all notifications from work chats, task trackers, and email accounts during your work vacation. Make your vacation a real time to rest and immerse yourself in a relaxing atmosphere. Even if you stay home, help your brain switch off from the work vibe: you can rearrange your desk, remove clutter, or add something festive.
Tip 7: Have a Quick Reset
Use weekends and holidays for mini-trips to new places or resorts to recover quickly. Disconnect from your usual routine for a couple of days and look for inspiration around you.
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