Digital Detox as the New Luxury: A Weekend Without Your Phone
There’s a particular kind of luxury holiday emerging that has nothing to do with thread count or private plunge pools, and everything to do with what’s missing: your phone. Resorts are now charging a premium for guests to hand over their devices at check in, and the more I’ve thought about it, the more it makes sense that silence and disconnection have become the thing money can’t easily buy anymore.
Why disconnecting has become aspirational
For most of us, being constantly reachable isn’t a choice, it’s simply the water we swim in. Work emails at dinner, notifications during a walk, the low hum of always being half present because your phone is always half in your hand. A weekend genuinely free of that isn’t a small thing anymore, it’s rare enough to feel indulgent.
What the research actually says
Time away from screens has been linked to lower stress levels, better sleep and improved mood, largely because it removes the constant low grade cognitive load of monitoring notifications and comparing our lives to everyone else’s highlight reel. It also creates space for the kind of boredom that, ironically, tends to produce our best ideas and most restorative rest.
You don’t need to book a resort to try it
While the idea of a phone free retreat is appealing, you don’t need to spend a fortune to get the benefit. Try:
– One full day a week with your phone in another room, not just on silent (I do this when I’m working. My phone stays in the loungeroom, while I work in the office/study).
– No screens for the first hour after waking and the last hour before bed (same as above. My phone is charged in the lounge room and never comes into the bedroom. I value my sleep too much to be distracted by social media).
– Leaving your phone at home (not just in your bag) for a walk or a coffee with a friend (I never, ever get my phone out when out with a friend. I think it’s rude and you should be present with the person you’re supposed to be spending time with).
– A “digital sunset” each evening where notifications are switched off entirely (I have social media notifications turned off on my phone regardless. I find my phone constantly pinging really annoying).
The hardest part isn’t the detox, it’s after
Most people find the actual time away from their phone easier than they expect. What’s harder is resisting the urge to immediately return to old habits once the weekend or the holiday ends. Building in small, regular pockets of disconnection, rather than one big dramatic detox, tends to be far more sustainable.
A gentle reminder
This isn’t about villainising technology, which genuinely connects us to people we love and information we need. It’s simply about noticing when constant connectivity has started to cost us more than it gives back, and giving yourself permission to occasionally switch it all off, without guilt, and without needing a five star excuse to do it.
