There’s a kind of quiet you don’t hear until you leave.
The first time I noticed it was on a solo trip to nowhere in particular. The kind where you toss your phone in the glove compartment, roll down the windows, and let the wind do the talking. Somewhere between the stretch of highway and the endless sky, I realized something—I wasn’t thinking about emails. Or deadlines. Or the text I forgot to reply to three days ago.
I was just… there.
If you’ve ever felt like your brain has become a tangled web of notifications, messages, and to-do lists, you’re not alone. We live in a world that demands our constant attention, and in return, it offers very little space to breathe. It’s no wonder that “burnout” has become less of a warning sign and more of a lifestyle.
But what if I told you that the antidote isn’t another productivity hack or a color-coded planner? Sometimes, the best thing you can do for yourself is to step away.
The Wake-Up Call
One day, I caught myself checking my phone while brushing my teeth. Not for anything urgent—just scrolling through a never-ending stream of things I didn’t really care about. And then, I did the math.
How many hours a day did I spend looking at the screen? How much of my life was I giving to a glowing rectangle in my hand?
Too much.
And yet, the thought of going offline—even for a day—felt oddly terrifying. What if I miss something important? What if someone needs me? What if I suddenly forget how to exist without Google Maps and Spotify?
But then, a better question hit me: What if I’m missing something now?
The First Step: Disconnect To Reconnect
So, I did something I hadn’t done since ‘09 (forget about my age lol)—I turned off my phone for an entire weekend. No emails. No social media. No mindless scrolling. Just me, a car, and the open road.
At first, I felt untethered, like I had forgotten how to be a person without WiFi. But as the hours passed, something shifted. The anxiety that had been living in my chest started to loosen. The world didn’t end because I wasn’t checking my notifications. If anything, it felt more alive.
That weekend, I relearned the lost art of paying attention. I noticed the color of the sky at sunset. I listened—really listened—to the waves crashing against the shore. I let my thoughts wander without trying to capture them in a perfectly worded tweet.
It was like waking up after a long, restless sleep. It was the beginning of a return to mindfulness and relaxation.
Finding Your Digital Balance
Now, I’m not saying you need to throw your phone into the ocean (tempting, I know). But if you’ve been feeling drained, scattered, or just a little disconnected from yourself, maybe it’s time to reset. A digital detox doesn’t have to be extreme—it just has to be intentional.
Here’s how to start:
- Create Phone-Freeze ZonesStart small. No screens at the dinner table. No doomscrolling before bed. No checking emails the second you wake up. Give your brain the gift of uninterrupted moments.
- Take Mini BreaksEven five minutes away from your phone can make a difference. Step outside. Breathe. Watch the world move without a filter.
- Have One Tech-Free Day A WeekChoose a day where you limit your screen time as much as possible. Use that time to do something you love—read, write, cook, go for a walk, actually talk to people in person.
- Get Lost (On Purpose)Take a drive with no destination. Wander through a park. Sit by the ocean with nothing but your thoughts. Let yourself be fully present in the moment.
- Replace Scrolling With StillnessInstead of reaching for your phone when you’re bored, try something different. Meditate. Stretch. Journal. Watch the clouds move. The quiet might feel unfamiliar at first, but give it time. There’s peace in the stillness—and space for spiritual calm.
Awakening Your Spiritual Calm
There’s a reason we feel drawn to nature when life gets overwhelming. The ocean doesn’t rush. The mountains don’t hurry. The trees don’t check their notifications every five seconds. They just exist. And sometimes, we need to remember how to do the same.
When I stood by the shore that weekend, feeling the cold water kiss my feet, I realized something—the world is bigger than my inbox. Bigger than the latest trending topic. Bigger than the artificial urgency of your digital well-being.
And so am I.
So are you.
Maybe it’s time to unplug—not just from technology, but from the pressure to be constantly “on.” Maybe it’s time to give yourself the space to breathe, to be still, to be fully present in your own life. To embrace a more mindful living—where peace isn’t something you scroll to find, but something you sit still to feel.
Because the quiet you don’t hear until you leave? That’s the sound of coming back to yourself.
