One Day Offline: Benefits Of A Digital Detox

Hudson, New York

Hello, my name is Matt. And I’m an addict. An Internet addict. The first step is admitting you have a problem right? The next step is seeking treatment…

If you’re addicted to the online world like I am, you’re in luck. I want to share this one weird trick that will help.

It’s so simple, you’ll be shocked how you didn’t think of it before!

Just take one day offline & call me in the morning.

I know, it sounds pretty scary. I thought so too. We feel this need to share our lives every second of the day, and it’s just so easy with powerful smartphones in our pockets!

What happens when you get a Facebook message and can’t respond in 60 seconds? How will you handle missing all those Snapchat stories when they disappear forever, never to be seen again? Your life will surely be over!

Well I’m here to tell you that’s just not the case.

Living In The Moment

When Cathay Pacific Airways & Mashable invited me to upstate New York earlier this month to be their guinea pig for a radical new online addiction treatment, I reluctantly agreed.

You know you’ve hit rock bottom when the internet goes out, forcing you into the streets begging random strangers for their wifi passwords. “Just 5 minutes!” you plead, a look of desperation in your eyes.

But 5 minutes is never enough.

As a professional travel blogger, I pretty much live online. My job is to share amazing travel experiences with people. It’s easy to forget to take a break, and travel the way I used to.

Just for myself.

My most memorable travel experiences are usually enjoyed offline anyway.

At this point I’d try anything to relax my online addiction, including jumping on a plane to NYC and squeezing into a bus full of fellow internet addicts from around the world.

The bus took us North into the country where we arrived at a specialized “treatment center” cleverly disguised as an apple farm. It was surrounded by thick forests decorated with red, orange, and yellow autumn hues.

The plan? Give up our cellphones & laptops for a full day. Disconnect from our online addictions and enjoy a new travel experience free from distractions.

A digital detox & internet intervention.

Picking Apples & Making Cider

However there would be work involved too. We were sent into an organic, pesticide free orchard to pick as many apples as we could. I’m pretty sure I ate more apples than I picked! They were crispy, juicy, and delicious.

The horses nearby were jealous of our apples, so we gave them a bite too.

Next we loaded our haul onto the back of some pickup trucks and drove to a beautiful farmhouse overlooking the Hudson River, where we learned how to cold-press the apples into fresh cider.

Laying picnic blankets in the sun, we enjoyed the fruits of our labor and chatted with each other over lunch. There may have been some fishing, manure shoveling, bubble blowing, kickball, hiking, yoga, and hula hoops too.

I kept reaching for my non-existent phone to share everything with you online as it was happening, but alas, this just wasn’t possible. As the day wore on, my withdrawal symptoms subsided. I was shaking less and less.

This incredible new treatment was actually working!

Disconnect To Reconnect

In the evening we gathered for dinner and country dancing to live music inside an old barn. Later we sat around a large bonfire, roasting s’mores outside under the stars.

Making new friends by engaging in actual conversation rather than typing away on our smartphones. We laughed, told stories, shared ideas, and focused on getting to know each other.

Spending #OneDayOffline at an apple farm in New York with this great group of people reminded me that I need to take digital sabbaticals more often. To put the electronics away for 24 hours, including my camera.

This experience taught me that I don’t need to be online ALL the time. My social media followers aren’t going anywhere if I take a break. The world won’t end if I fail to respond to email the same day.

Travel is more meaningful when you’re not constantly tethered to your smartphone.

It’s so important to disconnect from the online world from time to time. To recharge & reconnect with the world around us without distractions.

The next time you’re on vacation, remember to take one day offline and travel for yourself. You’ll return feeling refreshed, relaxed, and ready to take on the challenges of this epic adventure we call life.

Need some inspiration or ideas for planning your own digital detox?

Make sure to check out OneDayOffline.com

Watch Video: One Day Offline

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Are you addicted? How would you spend one day offline?

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.