21/01/2026
Wellbeing Wednesday -
Disconnection 📲
Why is that so hard? 🤷♀️
And why might it be good to try? 🍃
If you’re like most people, your phone is in your pocket or sitting next to you at most times. Yes, sure, it’s a great tool but what is it about it that it has turned into such a magnet? It’s addictive! ⏳
At a recent family lunch, I noticed that almost every one of the less than 30 year olds took their phones out to check something during the 2 hour lunch period. And I’m not talking about taking photos. 😶🌫️
For some reason, we seem to think every question posed needs an answer right away. We used to be able to search in our own brains or just be patient and wait until we can find out later. ⏳
We get that dopamine rush when we scroll and yes, that is not good in the long run. Especially for the growing brain of youngsters. (I’m all for restricting social media use until age 16 like more and more countries are now doing.)
If you didn’t grow up with a smart phone then you might remember playing outside with friends, or being bored and figuring out all by yourself what to invent or occupy your time with. I can’t imagine a child growing up without that. It really scares me. 🖼️
But, as adults, we can also give it a try. See what happens within us when we disconnect for a while. 🩷
Our retreat center in SW of France is “in the middle of nowhere” in the sense that we are surrounded by forest and there is only limited wifi access. 🍃
I propose to guests to disconnect during the retreat by handing over their phone to us so we keep it safe and they can experience what happens in their minds when they don’t have access to the phone. 🌟
That’s mindfulness in action! 🍀
Would you be willing to give that a try? You might be surprised by a sense of freedom and ease. Would you first feel withdrawal symptoms? I guess that depends. We’re all different. 🌟
What’s the longest you’ve been without your phone (not including when you sleep, obviously) ?
