A Digital Detox on Mayne Island
A lot of our friends and B&B guests will remember life before we carried cellular phones everywhere we went. In fact, there’s a 70% chance you’re reading this on your phone right now.
We’re slaves to our phones. Maybe it's time for a digital detox on Mayne Island...
Today, most people have their device on or near their person almost 100% of the time: in their hand, pocket, purses and backpacks. Many people sleep with it on their night table, and they look at it as soon as they wake up.
We used to be bored once in a while. Waiting rooms were for waiting. Ferry rides were for looking out the window. Standing in line meant daydreaming, striking up a conversation, or simply watching the world go by. Today, even a 30-second pause seems to send many of us reaching for our phones.
Not too long ago, we talked to one another instead of constantly checking social media, email and newsfeeds. We used the phone and called people instead of sending text messages. We used actual paper maps to navigate on road trips.
We used cookbooks and recipe boxes to cook meals that our parents and grandparents made.
I remember reading the newspaper and getting fresh ink on my fingers, or subscribing to photography and science magazines, and taking the time to go through them in a comfy chair or at the kitchen table.
Do you remember the excitement of getting a new record, unwrapping it, marvelling at the album cover, putting it carefully on the turntable to actually listen to the songs, and maybe following along with the printed lyrics?
I remember spending hours in my darkroom developing film and creating black and white enlargements. Some people would arrange photos nicely in a photo album, while others would scrapbook, or really fall into a hobby, like knitting, woodworking, or stamp collecting.
Some had pen pals and actually wrote letters to someone they never met. Perhaps they kept in touch with distant friends by actually putting a stamp on an envelope and sending it off. It was always exciting to receive a letter or a card in the mail. It still is to me! I often ask friends and relatives to send me a postcard when they’re travelling.
It’s now autumn and, like me, you may find yourself reflecting on how life used to be. It wasn’t simpler, or better, but it sure was different. This weekend, we’re at the Grove as a family. No guests. No agenda. No urgent chores.
We are going to slow down. At least, that's the plan right now.
Recently, I started borrowing French books from the public library. There's something satisfying about wandering through the shelves and choosing a book simply because it catches your attention. When was the last time you spent time in a library?
Even though I’m writing this blog on my computer rather than with a pen and paper, the process feels a bit like writing a letter to a long-lost friend.
From an idea to an outline, to developing each paragraph, I am feeling a bit nostalgic and it’s giving me ideas on how people can come to Mayne Island to rediscover what it was like when they weren’t enslaved to their cellular phones.
Ideas for a digital detox on Mayne Island
Are you brave enough to leave your cell phone at home? Of course, it’s easy to rationalize bringing it with you.
You probably don’t have a map in your car anymore. What if you get lost? As Papa John used to say “you’re never lost, you’re always somewhere.”
What if your car breaks down? The likelihood is very low, and if it does happen, someone with a phone will stop and help.
What if there’s an emergency? Give loved ones the number where you’re staying.
What if someone really needs to reach you? Chances are, it can wait.
Challenge yourself to leave your phone behind. Or take it, just in case, but leave it off. Cell reception is not great at many places on Mayne Island, so you may get to experience a little peace and quiet regardless!
There is no cable TV at the Grove. That's not an accident. A visit here offers a chance to disconnect from the constant noise and distraction that follow us everywhere.
Of course, we have Wi-Fi at the Grove, but we can turn it off. Imagine how peaceful it may be to spend 48 hours off your phone, off social media, off the endless (bad) news cycle.
Take a moment to sit in a comfy chair, a hot drink nearby, and read… Some of you do it regularly, but it may be time to rediscover what it’s like to read a book and turn pages to see how the story and characters develop. Or brush up on your favourite non-fiction topic.
Do like bears do and let your brain hibernate for 48 hours.
Don’t set a morning alarm. Try sleeping in (I know, it's harder as we get older).
Go for a walk in the forest or on the beach just to enjoy the moment, not to get somewhere or to record yet another activity, or a new personal record on Strava.
Sit on a rock or a log. Listen to the waves. The birds. The wind in the trees.
Perhaps one of Mayne Island's greatest gifts is that it gives you permission to slow down.
Doing all this will not solve the problems, but it just might improve your wellbeing.
And when it's time to head home, you may discover that the world carried on just fine without your constant attention.
Are you ready to slow down - to detox?
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