I recently went on a 10 day digital detox and let me tell you, it’s the best thing I could have done to regroup my thoughts, emotions and mindfulness practice.

I went to this little fishing village called Mallacoota in Victoria, Australia. The place is magical, it’s a little paradise surrounded by beach and forest. It’s also Victoria’s most isolated town which meant we had no phone network. You heard me, no network , no internet, no WIFI!!!

At first I felt lost without my 5th limb (my mobile phone) but this was actually the best thing that could have happened to me. Leading up to our holiday, I was exhausted, just recovered from two sinus infections and a back injury. My plan was do keep in touch with the wold while on holiday by doing a little work here and there, however, the universe had other plans for me.

I embraced my disposition though and I felt amazing!! here are some of the benefits I experienced!!

1. I was more in tune with my body.

Being one with nature without the external digital distractions allowed me to connect with my body! I was able to tune into my emotions, feelings and internal body signals such as hunger and fullness. Because I was able to tune in to my emotions, I was able to process them without reaching for food! Being in tune with my body and mind has been vital to my emotional eating recovery journey and the digital detox amplified the connection.

2. Meditation and mindfulness came became a breeze.

During my digital detox I was able to meditate with ease and I was able to keep in the moment for longer! The lack of distraction from social media, emails and all sorts of apps that call me back to my phone allowed me to find stillness much faster. I use meditation as a tool on a daily basis to help me connect to the present moment which helps me tune into my body and mind. Meditation can be hard to get into some days, especially when I’m running on overwhelm, I was therefore grateful to drop into mindfulness with ease.

3. I slept much better.

Being without my mobile phone meant I was spending more time in nature, absorbing more sun rays and fresh air than usual. This boost of nature’s goodness allowed me to fall asleep faster and I slept much deeper, waking up refreshed and energised! One thing I’ve learnt on my emotional eating recovery journey is that proper sleep is imperative for me to function properly and to think clearly. When operating with a clear mind, you are able to tune into emotions early and manage urges much faster!

Taking a digital detox is something I would highly recommend to anyone and especially to my clients. If you have not done so, plan one day (or one hour, if a day is not practical in your schedule) in your week where you can just disconnect from the world and reconnect with yourself!