We’ve now reached our fourth Digital Detox Hero takeover on Instagram! Our Digital Detox Heroes series introduces friends of Time To Log off who perfectly embody the screen balanced lifestyle. We’re letting each of our Heroes take over Time To Log Off’s Instagram feed to share three fantastic digital detox inspired shots. They will also be explaining why it’s important for them to enjoy some time away from screens.
We’ve featured some fantastic individuals during our Digital Detox Hero series. The first photos we shared were from award-winning travel writer Emily Luxton and explored her idea of ‘deep travel’. Second, we featured Sarah Graveling, gardening blogger at Franklyn and Vincent. Most recently we teamed up with adventurer Al Humphreys, who aims to encourage us all to step away from our busy lives (and screens!) and take on ‘microadventures’ as often as possible. Our fourth Digital Detox Hero is foodie Anna Francesca from My Primrose Hill Kitchen. Anna has been cooking since she was nine years old and has written two cooking apps for Apple. Her mission is to inspire others to find joy in cooking by simplifying complicated recipes as much as possible.
Cooking is known to be a fantastic stress-buster and escapism activity, but this isn’t the only reason why we love Anna’s blog (and her mouth-watering recipes!) Anna supports the notion of phone-free food. Mealtimes were once an integral part of family life, however, now we often see ourselves opting for screens over social conversation at the dinner table (or worse, in front of the TV!) Research has also shown that regular family mealtimes are hugely important for the personal development of children. For example, eating together teaches good social skills, nutrition, portion sizes and offers a sense of stability and security. Plus, research suggests that eating in front of the television does not offer the same mental health benefits and mood boosting potential compared to those who eat screen-free. It’s not just important for children, either. Choosing your phone over engaging with a partner during dinner is also a lost opportunity to reflect on your days without distraction and support each other.
To accompany her photos on our Instagram, inspiring food blogger Anna sums up her passion for the creativity involved in cooking and suggests this should be celebrated socially during a meal without screens distracting us.
“I have always been fascinated by cooking and food, ever since I was little. I always cook with fresh ingredients and because my recipes are easy, most of them are healthy fast food. My mantra is that cooking has to be easy, beautiful and taste fantastic. I love all aspects of its creative process and I love that it’s social, to be shared and enjoyed particularly without anyone staring at their mobile screens or at a TV screen. There’s nothing more disheartening than spending time preparing beautiful food, only for people to stare at a screen whilst they are eating. My house is screen free during meals.”
Our Digital Detox Heroes all lead different but busy lives. They show us that there is definitely more than one way to start incorporating digital detox into your lifestyle. Will it be cooking, gardening, travel or microadventures for you?
You can find Anna’s photos and our entire Digital Detox Heroes series on our Instagram @timetologoff. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
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