The luxury of going offline!

There are lots of benefits to going offline, but let’s start at the beginning. What makes us so susceptible to becoming addicted to our phones?

Our mind loves new things, so we are easily distracted by any stimulus. But our brain is actually not meant to process the huge amount of external stimuli we are bombarded with these days. Did you know that a young person receives and replies to about one hundred messages a day on average? And that we spent about two-and-a-half hours a day on our smartphones? Those are astonishing figures, right?

It has become a real addiction that restricts us and sometimes even makes us downright unhappy. High time for a digital detox! This has many benefits: you enjoy more peace and quiet, so your stress levels go down and your creativity is stimulated. You have more time for real-life social interactions and you are able to focus better.

How do you go about going offline? Start small. For instance, put your phone down during a meal with friends. That way, you can really enjoy your time together and give each other your full attention. Or turn on airplane mode, put your phone in a box for a couple of hours and do something fun. Make sure your phone is out of sight, because scientific studies have shown that your concentration levels go down as soon as you see your mobile phone, even when it is switched off.

At Thermae Grimbergen, we also recognise the importance of being offline. In our public baths, all digital devices are forbidden. This enables us to provide a peaceful environment and guarantee our visitors’ privacy. So, we kindly ask you to leave your phone in your locker. You will see that you probably won’t have missed anything earth-shattering once you get your hands on your device again a few hours later.

Do you regularly go offline? Or are you glued to your mobile phone?