I surprised myself last week by doing three things I had never done before.
First, I went up to the mountains and stayed overnight at my good friend Chary's house. We had been planning this trip over the pandemic and finally it was happening. Her home was located in a protected area up in the hills of Tanay. Homes in protected areas have no electricity (okay, we had small solar panels to light part of the evening). Those who know me well were shocked to hear this.
"What? No aircon?!" A much younger me would have complained. As a child of five on my very first trip to Baguio, I had kept both my parents up all night with my cries of "aircon, aircon…" while sticking my head out the window that looked down on Session Road. This overnight trip, at the age of 58, was my concession to camping, indoors, not outdoors, under the skies, and with a bathroom.
Second, the area where Chary's home is located has no signal. Yes, you read that right. Far up in the hills of Tanay, in an area where camp grounds abound, there is no cellular signal. Therefore, I found myself doing an unexpected and true digital detox for 24 hours.
Third, for the first time in my 58 years, I found myself stepping into a river. And, oh, what a pleasure that was!
Never fail to astonish yourself, and you'll remain young at heart, they say. I did just that by stepping out of familiar comfort zones—no aircon, no electricity, no signal—and I'm proud to say that I didn't miss it. For 24 hours, my mind was at rest. Completely unplugged and off the grid, it was so much easier to hear oneself, and pay close attention to all of nature and its beauty.
At night, we gathered around a bamboo table under a thatched roof and shared stories. There was a mist, and the skies had a smattering of stars. Time flew by and no one looked at their phones (no signal, remember), and no one was in a hurry. At bedtime, it was pitch dark, and I could hear the babbling of a brook in the distance, and cricket sounds punctuating the silence.
When I awoke at around 3 a.m., I gazed out the window and saw the outline of an unexplored mountain, its majesty keeping watch over me. I went back to sleep and snuggled under the warmth of a sky blue inabel blanket. I slept so well and so deeply that night.
At 4 a.m., like clockwork, the roosters began to crow.
In the morning, after a hearty breakfast, we trekked down the road and headed for the river. What a lovely sight that was! It was my very first time to see a huge river up close complete with white, black and grey stones. Right away, I thought of my mom and her old television show, Tabing Ilog, and how she looked forward to taping that show every week.
I felt like a child again when I stepped into the river for the first time. The joy and wonder of it all filled my very being. What lessons did I gain from this adventure? One, that you are never too old to try new things or break out of your comfort zone. It's exhilarating to try new things. Second, that a digital detox has so many valuable benefits.
Unplugging gives us time to grow and learn new skills. Often, we avoid doing this because we think we don't have enough time, but really, we don't have the attention span to even try. Unplugging helps us practice patience. When we practice unplugging, we can develop our character strengths and work on improving our weaknesses.
When we unplug, we're able to give our attention more generously to the people around us. It also gives us the opportunity to connect more deeply with ourselves without distraction or comparison.
Several social experiments have found that taking a scheduled break away from your smartphone or digital device can lower your stress levels. It can also help you focus on the present and pay more attention to things around you.
Aside from being more productive because there are no distractions, doing a digital detox can also provide relief to various parts of the body. Imagine staying glued to your phone or your laptop for several hours. The behavior results in eye strain, dry eyes, and headaches.
Having realized all these, my goal now, beginning this weekend, is to observe a one-day digital detox. Here are the rules I've set for myself for those 24 hours:
• No checking email
• No social media
• No YouTube
• No computer use
• Only use phone for texts or calls
• No TV during the day (one or two episodes at night is okay)
I'll keep you posted in a month's time on how the detox is coming along. Wish me luck!
