To Live without a Smartphone

Personally, I live retreats as a space where to be in touch with myself without distractions and recover my well-being. A place to change habits that do not make me feel good, such as using a smartphone. In Spain, some studies assure that the average use of cell phones is 3 hours and 51 minutes per day on average (according to the Online Comparison Study). This equates to an average of 58.5 days a year using the smartphone. This is 2 months per year with your eyes set on the screen.

Thus, when I am in a retreat I reduce the stress caused by the daily use of the smartphone.

Being accompanied by more people with similar interests, a support network is created where we can count on each other, thus avoiding loneliness and frustration.

Distraction from Everyday Life

In my day to day I used to have many moments of distraction, I felt that I did not accomplish any of my goals.

Sometimes, it still happens to me that I lose track of time when I am using my phone. The screens on these devices have the power of absorbing and taking me away from the reality that I am living.

Sometimes it feels as an escape strategy to not have to face what I really need to take care of.

Disconnect to reconnect

That is why, when I am in a retreat, I feel peaceful again. Being sure that my cell phone is not going to ring makes me feel, in some way, protected. And this is just one of the many things that can bring you living without a mobile phone for a while.

Another aspect that I appreciate when I am in a retreat is the feeling of vitality. On the days that I have used the screens for many hours, I feel that my vital energy drops suddenly. For me, retreats are that space where I can reconnect with nature and, at the same time, with my inner being.

Also, being in a retreat means not having to go from one place to another. In my day to day there are moments that I think, how did I get here? My mind was so busy dealing with many things at once, maybe talking on my cell phone too, and I lost my way. So, the retreats for me are focus and concentration.

Who are retreats for?

And maybe you’re wondering … who can attend a retreat? Everyone can do it, since it is a space opened to everyone. The people leading the retreat will be responsible for adapting the activities according to the characteristics of the group members.

Another very interesting aspect of retreats is the fact that one can take home all the learnings and experiences that are shared during the days of the retreat. Retreats are often very transformative experiences.

As you can see, there are many elements of the retreats that I love and that is why I encourage all those who ask me to participate in a retreat.

Perhaps you might think that I am impartial and it makes perfect sense, since I have talked about my experience. But at the same time, there are many who agree on the positive results of going on a retreat.