Ever feel like a break is, well, quite the opposite? Emails pinging in, WhatsApp groups popping off, apocalyptic news alerts, underwhelming Hinge matches and — most daunting of all — the pressure to capture ‘content’. It’s enough to make you want to glue your nose to the grindstone and leave it there. But there is a switched-off, analogue revolution afoot. At Victoria Beckham’s summer party earlier this month, guests were presented with stickers to cover their phone cameras, encouraging them to, you know, actually enjoy the night. Can’t be trusted to moderate your own screen time?
At Unplugged’s digital detox cabins, about an hour from London, it’ll be done for you. On arrival, guests secure their devices (yes, including mobiles) in a lockbox for three days and get back to nature. It might be a bit weird to get used to but switching off promises better sleep and to alleviate brain fog, anxiety and a lack of productivity. Plus, you get to relive your youth with an old-school Nokia (strictly for emergencies!), a camera and map. Do your best not to tweet about how great you feel the moment you get back online.
