Phone Free Food Digital Detox Challenge

Our Digital Detox Challenge series is designed to find inspiring ways to introduce a bit of online:offline balance in your life. We hope there’s a challenge that inspires you to give logging-off a go!

As autumn draws in our thoughts have been turning to delicious meals out with friends and loved ones, and cosy family mealtimes at home. We know that people grabbing their phones while eating with us is something we all complain about more and more. And yet, when we ask guests on our digital detox retreats how many meals they take a week that are entirely phone-free the results are shockingly low.

So, just for October, we’re challenging you to commit to enjoying all your meals without the company of your phone! Our #PhoneFreeFood October challenge has 5 ideas to help you put down your phone while you’re eating and focus on your food.

#1 Eating out; play ‘phone stack’!

We’ve seen people creating phone stacks in restaurants and we definitely want to encourage it! As a fun way to get everyone thinking about phone use it’s a great starter, plus there’s a built-in incentive to get everyone to join in (the game usually involves the first one to cave and touch their phone picking up the tab!). We warn you though, having your phone right there in front of you is much harder on the willpower than simply stashing it away.

#2 Eating out; keep phones hidden

This one is a lot easier than #1! Keeping your phone out of your sight, in your pocket or your bag, while you’re eating dramatically cuts down on the temptation to keep checking it and scrolling for emails and social updates. Keep it firmly hidden away, and get everyone you’re eating with doing the same, to make your table entirely screen-free.

#3 Eating out; cruise on airplane mode

When you walk through the door of the bar or the restaurant simply imagine you’re walking onto a plane (one with no in-flight wifi!). Switch your phone to airplane mode and put it away. Carve out that time to focus fully on the people you’re meeting and to savour and enjoy every moment of your meal.

#4 Eating at home; pick a prize

We’ve talked before about setting up goals as a family to support your logging-off habits. Sit down as a family and talk about your individual motivations for making all your meals this month phone-free and agree you’re all in it together. How about making one family member responsible on each day of the week for reminding everyone else in advance of the #PhoneFreeFood challenge and encouraging everyone to keep going? And, to add an incentive, agree a whole-family treat or prize that you’ll award yourselves with when you’ve completed the challenge.

#5 Eating at home; keep the kitchen a no-phone zone

Set-up a total no-phone-zone in the kitchen (or wherever you eat together the most). Include tablets and laptops too and agree that all digital devices must be ditched at the door of the room in a family tech basket and only retrieved when their owner leaves the room. Ask any visitors to your home in advance if they will join in with you – which will get them thinking about the challenge too.

Join in with our digital detox meal challenge and help take our mealtimes back from our phones. Good luck, and let us know how you got on using the #PhoneFreeFood hashtag online!