Day #16 30 Day Digital Detox Challenge

Our 30 Day Digital Detox Challenge is all about introducing you to some simple ways to develop a healthy relationship with your phone in 2017!

Be honest, when was the last time you read a physical book? For many of us, it can be hard to even remember. On holiday last summer, perhaps? Today we challenge you to set your e-readers and smartphones aside in favour of the real deal!

Day 16 – pick up a book and rediscover reading

Our reading habits have changed beyond all recognition over the last few decades. Reading tends to be an on-the-go activity, scrolling through blog posts and online articles – which we rarely finish before a notification pops up to pull our interest away.

This book challenge is not only designed to give you that sense of accomplishment and satisfaction which comes with finishing a great novel, there are other benefits, too. Smartphones are often the last thing we put down at night, yet the light from our gadgets can prevent the release of the hormone melatonin which tells the body you’re off to bed. So, swapping a book for your smartphone when in bed allows your mind to start switching off, leading to a better night’s sleep. Think: why do we read bedtime stories to children?

Reading, including fiction, is also crucial for self-education and broadening our horizons. If extremely successful digital entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg swear by frequently reading real books for this very reason, then we’re all for it!

Like many of the visitors to our digital detox retreats, you may soon find that making time to read a book is a joy you never know you missed.

Tomorrow we’re on Day 17. All the challenge videos are on our YouTube channel. Use the hashtag #30DayDigitalDetoxChallenge on Twitter and tell us how you’ve been finding it so far!