https://growing-joy.simplecast.com/episodes/digital-detox-what-3-days-in-nature-taught-me-and-how-you-can-recreate-it-at-home

 

Three days with no phone, no laptop, no social media notifications buzzing in my ear. It’s just me, the forest, and goats that became some of my best friends! And I achieved all of this when I visited Hemlock Neversink in Castskills last month to commit a full digital detox. I swapped screen time for barefoot hikes, yoga, forest bathing, goat cuddles, painting under the trees, and even a little moss-gazing. And my nervous system hit reset in a way I didn’t even realize I needed.

So I really encourage you to try it, but you don't have to run away to the woods for three days to feel these benefits. I'm going to share what I learned during my retreat and how you can create your own digital detox at home, even if you've only got 15 minutes. Let's plunge in!

 

In this episode, we learn:

• [03:28] 3 days, no phone, no social media (my digital detox in Hemlock Neversink!)
• [03:59] Behind the scenes: burnout, grief, and moving to Florida
• [06:30] How life changes (and Florida's climate shift) increased my digital consumption
• [09:00] What makes Hemlock Neversink the perfect nature reset?
• [10:03] Themed retreat days: release, realign, reimagine
• [10:55] How does time in nature reset your nervous system? sympathetic vs. parasympathetic nervous system
• [11:24]  What is Attention Restoration Theory?
• [13:47] Goat hikes! Meet my new goat best friend!
• [15:22] Give a gift that celebrates their love with every gentle breeze with Wind River Chimes!
• [17:11] Find rooted joy and gentle beauty in your everyday life with A Year of Garden-Inspired Living by Linda Vater!
• [18:37] Painting in nature, crafts, and screen-free creativity!
• [21:29] How I released stress through daily yoga, hikes, and massage
• [22:42] Restoring with books, moss gazing, and barefoot grounding
• [25:36] How addicted are we really to our phones?
• [29:58] My interview with Ryan, Hemlock’s Director of Wellness and Spa!
• [31:35] Why is the nature component so important for healing?
• [34:23] What are some interesting guest transformations at Hemlock?
• [37:22] Why intentional resets in nature are so powerful
• [38:27] What are the most popular activities on Hemlock? (dance hikes, sound baths, breathwork)
• [42:00] How do you build your own retreat at home? (+Hemlock discount for you!)
• [50:56] Here’s my gratitude meditation through a song!

 

 

 

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Why I Needed a Reset

This year has been brutal. It's been 13 months since my last vacation. My husband and I moved to Florida last August, and from the minute our feet hit the ground, we've been in full sprint mode. The business grew like crazy too, and I found myself working 14-hour days regularly.

So I started coping the way a lot of us do. More TV. More phone scrolling. More podcasts while I gardened, Netflix while I cooked, social media while I ate. I was never alone with my thoughts. My anxiety was at an all-time high, my nervous system was completely fried, and I knew something had to change.

 

 

What Three Days Off the Grid Actually Looked Like

At Hemlock Neversink, I themed my days to give myself structure:

• Day 1: Release – let go of stress and anxiety
• Day 2: Realign – reconnect with my body, mind, and spirit
• Day 3: Reimagine – dream into how I wanted to carry this reset back into my life

 

They gave me this little bag when I checked in that said “your phone needs a break, just like you do.” I put my phone in that bag, left it in my room, and didn't touch it for three days. Here's what I did instead:

 

Goat Hikes

Every morning, we walked the trails with nine friendly goats (yes, I made a bestie named Nanner). Their playful energy was pure joy and a reminder of how much animals help us reconnect to presence.

 

Painting in Nature

I took a class where a guide gave you watercolors and walked you into the woods. You'd find a spot, sit there for an hour and a half, and just paint. No instruction, no rules. 

 

Yoga and Embodiment

Daily yoga sessions and massages helped me release stress stored in my body. My massage therapist told me my traps were incredibly tight even though I'd already gotten a deep tissue massage the day before.

 

Moss Time

One afternoon, I lay in a mossy patch for two hours. Just clouds, clovers, ferns, and me. This is what involuntary attention feels like. Your nervous system needs it to recover from all the directed attention we're stuck in all day (emails, social media, work tasks).

 

Dining Alone Without a Phone

I started noticing things. The music playing in the restaurant. The way I could dance a little in my seat. All these small moments I'd been scrolling right past for months.

By the end of Day 3, I felt lighter, more playful, and more alive.

 

 

How to Recreate Your Own Digital Detox At Home

Not everyone can escape to the Catskills, but you can design your own reset. Here are a few simple ways to try:

 

15 Minutes

Leave your phone inside, step outside barefoot, and sit with your plants or in the grass. Practice the “art of noticing.” Study a leaf and really look at it. How many stems does your plant have? Do the leaves grow evenly on both sides or unevenly?

 

One Hour

Take a mindful walk in your neighborhood or park. Bring a journal, sketchbook, or watercolors and give yourself screen-free time to create. Or just sit somewhere and let yourself be bored.

 

Half a Day

Start with yoga or stretching to get into your body. Have a picnic lunch outside without your phone. Spend time crafting, sketching, or simply daydreaming. 

 

Full Day

Block your apps with a tool like Opal (I love this app, not sponsored). Dedicate the day to being screen-free. Move your body in the morning. Spend a few hours in nature doing something with your hands. And if you have kids? Get them involved. Start teaching them young that being in nature and off screens is how we feel good.

 

 

What I’m Taking with Me

These three days reminded me that I don't need a constant stream of content, noise, or distractions to feel okay. In fact, it's the opposite. The quieter I got, the more I could hear my own voice and the more joy I found in the simplest things.

Even if it's just for 15 minutes today. Start there. Your phone will be there when you get back. The emails will wait. The world will keep spinning. But you? You might actually start feeling like yourself again.

 

 

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Hemlock Neversink
• Activities & Experiences | Hemlock Neversink Hotel & Spa
• Growing Joy 255: I Moved 80+ Plants Across the Country: Here's What I Learned
• Growing Joy 267: Create a Biophilic Office Space: Boost Your Workday Motivation by Adding These Plants to Your Office
• Growing Joy 307: Earthing Explained: The Science of Grounding for Better Sleep, Less Pain, and More Energy with Dr. Gaétan Chevalier
• Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• Opal

 

 

 

 

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Wind River Chimes

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Visit windriverchimes.com and use code GROWINGJOY to receive free engraving on your chosen wind chimes.

Quarto: A Year of Garden-Inspired Living by Linda Vater

Feel the gentle shift of the seasons and invite more beauty, purpose, and wonder into your everyday with A Year of Garden-Inspired Living by Linda Vater. More than a garden book, it’s a yearlong journey through reflections, stories, and seasonal ideas that bring the rhythms of nature into your home and heart — from creating seed packets to setting simple, heartfelt tablescapes. With delicate watercolor illustrations and thoughtful inspiration for each season, this book is a reminder to slow down and let the garden guide your days.

Preorder A Year of Garden-Inspired Living at quarto.com today or pick it up wherever books are sold, and let the seasons bloom in your life.

 

 

 

 

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