Digital detox the natural way?

Hannah – September 2018

I love technology that supports everyday work more effectively. I sometimes get smiled at for my Blackberry when someone doesn’t know that Blackberry runs with the safest Android. I have a smartwatch, now the second one. I love my laptop and when I buy bags, I always check first to see if it fits. I wouldn’t buy any bag in which it doesn’t fit.

When I saw the first smartwatch at a friend’s house, I was surprised and found that it doesn’t make life any easier, but that you’re just less likely to get away and everything spins even faster. You don’t have a break anymore. My mobile phone is always silent, it doesn’t even vibrate, even before the Smartwatch it was like that. But I had to look at it so often and constantly left it somewhere. With the watch I am more relaxed, I switch everything off quickly, and I can rely on the fact that I receive the important stuff …and it makes my mobile phone ring when I can’t find it again, by the way.

I’m not worried that I’ll get enough out of the life around me. I look for time out and have not (yet?) found access to yoga or meditation or other rather slow ways of mindfulness. I go jogging alone, and to go climbing, my husband and I would need a babysitter and suddenly the climbing lesson costs twice as much.

So instead I go with my husband and the children to Brandenburg just outside of Berlin. There is only water from the well, there is electricity and many spiders. Our boys experience the nature here; we set up a sandbox there.

When we arrive, the city is far behind us. Also because a lot is improvised, because we always shop like on holiday and think about what we barbecue. We grill everything possible. Also popcorn. 😉

When we then work in the garden, we forget everything around us.
And I’m already looking forward to raking the leaves in autumn. In winter we turn on the fireplace and work in the garden so that we don’t freeze until the house is warm. Hot cocoa tastes so good in front of the fireplace.

I’m already looking forward to making campfires with friends and drinking Feuerzangenbowle, just like every year shortly before Advent.

And yes of course… CoWomen is always on my mind. But when I’m sitting inside working on CoWomen while my husband and the boys are outside building a snowman, it’s the best feeling!