#299: Radically Transform Your Family's Summer with a Summertime Digital Detox

So my friend, set the phone aside, grab a pool float, and let's dive in.

This is episode 299.

Yo, are you ready to flip the script on life? Because those bad days, they're just doors to better days. And that's exactly what we do here at Grit, Grace, and Inspiration.

Your host, Kevin Lowe, he's been flipping the script on his own life, turning over 20 years of being completely blind into straight up inspiration, motivation, and encouragement just for you.

So kick back, relax, and let me introduce you to your host, Kevin Lowe.

Now, my friend, I fully understand that I'm going places with today's episode.

That may leave you feeling a little comfortable, a little irritated, because you might be thinking this is slightly ridiculous.

And I guess, well, that depends on what generation you come from or on how addicted you are to your mobile device.

But I can't help but feel as though we're in this perfect time of year, the summer, For us to remember what it's like when we close the laptop, when we turn off the phone, and we just remember what it's like to live when we're not behind a screen.

I mean, let's face it. Our world today is lived behind a screen.

It's our computers at work. It's our phones every other time of day.

It's our laptops when we're sitting in the living room at night watching TV.

We're constantly in a world consumed by digital devices.

It's rings and dings and Facebook and Instagram. It's everything consuming our life.

And I can't help but think maybe we're doing it all wrong.

I mean, yeah, I love technology just as much as anybody, especially being blind.

I mean, technology makes my life possible. But at the same point, I also realized that it can really be a hindrance.

It can really take away us getting to live life the way it was meant to be.

So today, I want you to just think, what would it be like if life was like it used to be, back before all of these digital devices took over our world?

And what if we also gave ourselves space to dream, to believe that anything we want is possible?

And maybe there are certain limitations, but I believe it's all possible.

You just have to start. And a perfect starting point, well, that's my Sizzling Summer Special, where I'm offering free coaching all summer long.

Yes, you can sign up for a free 30-minute one-on-one deep dive coaching session where me and you, we can map out what's going on in your life.

Figure out what's standing in the way, where you're going, all the things.

This is a coaching session tailored specifically for you.

All you have to do to grab your free spot is to text SUMMER2024, that is all one word, no spaces, SUMMER2024 to the phone number 33777.

Again, that is 33777. And I will give you a link to my online calendar where you can get that book ASAP. AP.

Remember, summer isn't forever and spaces are limited. So be sure that you grab your spot while they are still available.

Now, before we continue, I think it's probably important for us to get straight on what I'm talking about when I say a summertime digital detox.

Because when I hear detox, I think, wow, that sounds a little bit intense, a little scary, and I promise it is none None of the such.

My version of a summertime detox, it doesn't mean that you're slaring off all forms of technology and living like you're in the pioneer days. No way.

It's instead about being intentional, about setting aside moments throughout the day when you set the tech aside, when you just focus on the here and now.

Because the whole point in this is for you to get to remember what it's like to live in the moment, to be with your family, to soak up right now.

Now, we are so focused so many of the times on capturing pictures, taking videos that we have to post on Instagram or Facebook, or just to have in the phone's library for us to go back to later.

And yeah, I'm not saying that any of that is wrong, but I can't help believe that it's taking away from us living in the moment.

And that's what this is all about. out. It's making the most of every single day, every single moment we're given.

Nothing in this life is guaranteed. Not today, not tomorrow.

And so it is so vital that we make the most of right now.

And that is honestly what this whole idea is about.

So I think the first step for us to do now is to figure out how can we prepare to do this summertime digital detox?

What does it look like? Like, what does it feel like and how in the world do we get geared up to do such a thing as turning our phone off?

Yes, I know it's scary just thinking about it.

First and foremost, get clear on what you want out of this digital detox. Set some boundaries.

How long do you want to do it for? Do you hope that it becomes something that's part of your life, not just for this time period in the summer?

Come up with some intentions.

Maybe you just want to be sure that every morning and every evening, your day begins with an hour free of technology, free of the noise, free of the scroll.

Whatever you want, it's up to you.

I just encourage you to go ahead and set those boundaries, set those expectations so that you know what you're in for.

I encourage you to plan what I call in the moment activities.

That means those moments when you're fully embraced in the moment, you're with your family, you're with your friends, or maybe you're just by yourself, but you're living in the moment.

You're paying attention to those around you, to the environment, to the scenery you're focusing on now and not endlessly scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, looking at everything else that everybody else is doing.

No, I want you to be the person doing the thing.

Excellent idea is deciding on what we're going to call some tech-free zones.

So maybe that could be the dining room table.

Maybe you want to finally get the family to have dinner together without everybody sitting on their phone.

Now, I get it. Us adults, we're just as bad as the children, but it's something to try. We're giving this a shot.

So set maybe the dining room table. Every Every night, no phones allowed.

And maybe the other thing is maybe the bedroom. Maybe you just want your bedroom to be what it was meant to be.

A place of rest, of relaxation, of breaking away from all the noise.

It's up to you. But I encourage you, if it could help, set some locations.

Where are these places going to be where no tech is allowed? out.

Like somebody on detox from something like smoking or drinking, perhaps, they tell people to come up with some hobbies, some things to occupy their mind, to get them off of thinking about the thing that they're thinking about.

I encourage you to do the same.

Think of some hobbies, some different things that you can do for fun that don't involve your phone.

It's you getting outside, maybe starting a garden.

Maybe, I don't know, crocheting, baking.

I remember during the pandemic, the sourdough bread was a massive craze. Maybe you give it a shot.

Whatever it is, just focus on some little hobbies, some different things that you can do that you enjoy and they don't involve the phone.

And my last little tip is just to try your best at setting aside what I'm going to call mindful moments.

Moments that you can just sit and you can rest and you can be, but you don't pick up your phone.

You allow yourself to think, to dream, to wonder, to watch and listen, to be present in the moment, to pay attention to your surroundings.

Surroundings, let your mind wander, let your mind think, instead of filling it full of all this crap that we find on our phones.

So if those are a little step to help us prepare, but what is it all for? What are the benefits?

Why am I encouraging you to do this in the first place?

Well, basically, you can say, we're helping you to clear your mind, reduce anxiety, and totally reduce stress in your life.

When you turn off the notifications, when you turn off the rings and the dings of the alarms, you are going to be amazed at how much calmer you are.

We think that we like the notifications that our apps make because, ooh, there's something new for us to look at. But we're actually just training ourselves to always be on alert, to always be waiting for the next little sound to go off.

When you don't have that, it allows your mind to be at rest, to be at peace.

You might actually understand, wow, this is pretty darn nice.

It's also to maybe help prioritize your physical health.

Getting outside, that's kind of one of the big goals of this whole thing.

Is to set aside the phone and have you interacting with the outdoors, with your family, getting out there and playing and having a good time, whatever that looks like for you.

And all that's going to do is not only are you completing this little digital detox, but you're also just leading to a healthier life, a healthier you, helping you to just be out in life, which is going to do amazing things for you.

Then, of course, there's the massive emotional boost to your own well-being.

Disconnecting from screens and connecting with the real world can only boost your mood and honestly lead to you smiling more than you probably have in a really long time.

Because I don't know if you're like most people I know, but most people, when they're on their phones and they're endlessly scrolling through Facebook, they're typically talking about all the things that they don't like.

It's somebody posted this and you're saying this about them.

Are you wishing you were in their life?

Always thinking about the other person, always ruining who you are, what you're doing.

If we set that aside, well, now you just get to focus on you and that's what matters.

And of course, the biggest bonus to you for participating in the Summertime Detox is for you to get to spend more time with your family and friends when not behind a screen.

I'm talking about good quality time when you're all sitting around and you're actually talking and laughing and you're fully present.

You don't have a phone in your hand. You're not worried about a text message coming through.

No, you're literally present. You're soaking in every single moment of every person you're with.

That is being present in the moment.

The relationships that you are going to enhance over this summertime detox are going to be Incredible.

I encourage you maybe to plan a camping trip with a family, to do a bonfire with some friends, maybe do a day at the beach or a day out at the lake.

Whatever your style, whatever your jam, do something where the phones, they aren't there.

The distractions, they aren't available.

Leave your phone in the car. Do whatever you have to do to disconnect disconnect from that piece of technology.

And I know it's going to be tough. Trust me, we're addicted to these things.

You're going to be worried. But what if this happens? What if somebody needs me? What if the world is falling apart?

Well, I don't know. It makes you wonder, how did it all work before we had all of this technology?

Did the world fall apart? Did people need you and not be able to reach you?

Or did things get figured out?

Most likely, things were able to get figured out.

And again, I'm not talking about this being a super long time.

I'm talking about you just putting it down for a little bit while you're actually doing the activity so that you can really enjoy it.

So basically, my friend, it's really that simple.

I'm just encouraging you to take advantage of this idea of doing a summertime digital detox.

Share it with your friends. Talk about it with your family. Get people excited about it.

Now, Now, I understand, especially if you're talking to the younger generations, they're going to be like, no way, Jose, this is ridiculous. This is stupid.

But I encourage you to try to see if you can't entice them, not by the fact that they have to get rid of their phones.

No, the fact that you guys are going to go do this or that, that's super exciting to them instead.

And then the reality is, most likely, even if they didn't jump on board with this whole idea, if you get them outside doing something fun that they're excited about, I guarantee you naturally, they're going to forget all about their phone.

That's the power of this. It's getting out and living and loving life.

So with that, I encourage you to get out there, to stay unplugged, and instead, stay plugged in with life.

My friend, I'm Kevin Lowe, your host of Grit, Grace, and Inspiration. Enjoy life.

Music.