You arrive at your destination and the first question to ask the concierge is “what’s the WiFi?” and at the snap of your fingers, you’re glued to your device for the entire duration of the trip. We’ve all been there, and we get it, “if you don’t post it, then it didn’t happen”, right?
While posting photos to your social media and texting while on vacation is fun and entertaining, waiting until you get home to post away and connect with friends may be a better choice. Instead of zoning out into a bright screen and scrolling for hours on end, look up, be present, and enjoy the time you have away from home. Although it may be difficult to break the addiction, once you put away those distracting electronics and take a digital detox, you’ll appreciate your trip much more.
So, if you’re one of those travelers who think they can’t live without the Internet, then read on to learn about how you can avoid being glued to your screen while traveling!
There’s an App for That…
This may sound crazy, but there’s a number of apps available to download that report on how many times a day you unlock and/or use your smart device. Apps like Checky and Moment will shock you by showing you how many hours a day you waste by being buried phone, iPad, or tablet. This may be a great first step to accept and acknowledge how useless electronics are, especially while on vacation. Learning that you use your phone over 100 times by noon will certainly make you want to pick it up WAAY less!
Please, Do Not Disturb
The group chat’s constantly going off, the notifications are pouring in, and you can’t resist reading and answering them all. Don’t panic, we have a solution. The feature on most smart devices called ‘Do Not Disturb’ will be your best friend while you try to enjoy your vacation and soak up every minute away. ‘Do Not Disturb’ basically puts your phone on mute and won’t show any notifications, so that you don’t look at your screen every 5 seconds to see if you’ve got a new message.
Another option is to put your device on ‘Airplane Mode’, which typically does the same thing as ‘Do Not Disturb’ but takes you completely offline by blocking out your service; you won’t receive messages until the airplane mode is switched off.
Write It, Don’t Type It
If you feel the need to document all of your adventures while in a new, cool place, then write it all down on paper and continue on with your day away. It’s easy to be distracted by the Internet while trying to post or respond to messages, so ditch the WiFi and jot down whatever you’re thinking in a journal. You may find that keeping a journal will clear your mind, have you thinking and reflecting on life, and make you appreciate your time off.
And even when you’re not traveling, keeping a daily journal will open your eyes and mind to what you’ve been missing while your nose was buried in your phone.
Make a Schedule (If Necessary)
Finding it impossible to completely turn off and disconnect with the outside world? Fine. Set a time to review and respond to your messages. Make a mental list of what you’re itching to check whether it’s your inbox, text messages, voicemails, or social media notifications. And, if you can’t resist posting your latest pics to Instagram or Facebook, here’s your chance to post away!
Just make sure to go back on ‘Do Not Disturb’ or ‘Airplane Mode’ when you’re done!
Leave It At Home
We know this may be the hardest thing you’re going to have to do, but we believe in you! Leaving your cell phone at home while on vacation is probably one of the best methods to get off the grid. For safety concerns, purchase a prepaid phone for emergency phone calls only. Leaving your smartphone behind will make you more attentive to whoever you’re traveling with, make you realize that you can live without your phone in hand at all times, and take in more of your surroundings.
But before you totally disconnect, be sure to leave out of office automated messages and tell your friends and family where you’re going. Oh, and don’t forget to pack a camera!
Have any other tips on how to avoid screen addiction while on vacation? Tell us in the comments!
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