Do you need a digital detox?

Hey Athletes!

Wow, a lot has happened since I last wrote you… namely I rode 750km in 15 days on one horse in Southern Brazil. Trust me, a lot happens in 750km! I definitely have a lot of stories to tell and I spent a lot of time inside my own mind, learning about myself and making plans for all the wonderful things I can bring back for all you.

But all that will come with time.

I promise.

Today I want to talk to you about what I have been doing since I got home - I have been taking a social media break. Rides like this change your life, and like a good pot roast, you need some time to let the juices work in and do their magic… unspoiled. Set it in the slow cooker and forget about it for a few hours if you want a delicious meal to come home to.

So instead of poking and prodding through social media to distract me from the teachings of this adventure, I have deleted Facebook and Instagram from my phone so I too can sit in my mind’s juices and soak in everything that I thought of while I rode.

Do you live in Southern Ontario? If so, last Friday you likely had your internet and/or cell phone services interrupted for a full day thanks to a widespread service outage from Rogers Communication. If you weren’t affected, just take a moment to close your eyes and imagine now that you woke up and there was no internet or cell reception and you have no idea when service will be returned.

Were you scared? Were you relieved?

Unless your answer was that you were indifferent, this is likely a sign that you need a bit of a digital detox.

Lets go back to that day. Without internet or cell reception, what does your day look like?

Do you pull out a book? Do you spend some time being active? Do you go for a ride or spend some time grooming your horse with no deadline? Do you get some yardwork done? Do you take your stash of cash and walk uptown for poutine and ice cream?

Now pay attention to your breath - take one deep breath in through your nose into the bottom of your lungs and let it out forcefully. Did even just thinking about this slow your heartrate?

Now you don’t necessarily need a full day to do this. Once you have gone through this little mental exercise, why not just take half an hour randomly (or maybe even better when you are feeling most stressed by your day job or social media influences) and do one of these things… leaving the phone behind and without setting a deadline. Unless someone is bleeding out, most “urgent” items can be best handled with a bit of space and time for reflection.

I find a lot of my time has already been freed up by giving up social media, its only been a week but I can already feel the effects. You might think too that I am getting so much work done. That is not true! I am getting about the same amount of work done that I always do, and the extra free time is spent in the yard with a beer, or chatting with friends at the barn.

Remember, your time doesn’t need to be completely filled to be valuable. We only have so much productivity in us until we need a rest, the difference is whether we choose it or whether it is forced upon us by our body or mind limits.

So that is your homework today, take that time to be unproductive, step away from technology, and give yourself that physical and/or mental rest you need and deserve.

Cheers,

Sarah