A week “off grid”……. How it changed me?
So how did it work out ? We have a very small cottage booked, in a remote location in Scotland and we have a wood fired heater, gas to cook AND NO ELECTRICITY! The place looked idyllic, it was secluded, close to the beach and surrounded by trees.
Well we were firstly very lucky with the weather because the sun shone pretty much every day. The cottage was TINY. Basically 2 rooms - a living area and a bedroom, with a tiny kitchen and bathroom added on.
Cooking was basic - two gas burners but it was amazing how creative I became and we ate really well. Simple food, I can see why meat and 2 veg was a UK staple in the past, because it’s so easy to prepare. Had it been colder, I would probably have made big veggie soups or stews, which are easy to make. Instead we had a veggie curry one evening, meatballs another in a tomato sauce. On another a big salad full of different veg, with some fried sweet potato and peppers to make it more filling.
Not having a TV was probably one of the biggest perks. So instead of “wasting time” on TV, we played cards, we talked, we read books (by candle light and these amazing short lived solar powered lamps that I am now trying to source…). It made both of us reflect how much time we waste on stuff that neither feeds nor resources us. So we’ve decided to trial letting Netflix and Amazon Prime go for now. I’ve not actually watched any TV since returning, instead I’ve been reading, meditating more and doing things around the house, that need doing and also in a funny way feed my soul.
I read several books over the week, mainly novels but also a really interesting read on Energy Medicine that inspired me to try out some new body centred exercises and see how my body responded - and it liked them. It was written by an American Chiropractor, and I resonated a lot with her experiences and perceptions of energy. And reading is so much more restful than screentime!
We had a phone connection, but both of us have old phones with short battery life, which meant Facebook was accessible, but as I use my phone as a camera too, I was very precious about the battery life. We did charge them in the car, but we didn’t drive far so never got a full charge on either phone. So even the internet wasn’t something we used much. And I didn’t miss it anywhere near as much as I thought.
I usually answer emails for my business when I’m away and this week I didn’t have a computer with me. And the world didn’t stop. People knew I was away (automated emails are great) and that was fine. The same with phone messages. I missed a few calls and the world didn’t stop!
So my learnings for the week could be summarised as follows:
my need for technology is so much lower than I thought
I didn’t miss TV, in fact reading books was so much more rewarding and restful
we talked more because there were less distractions which was great for us as a couple
despite the house being tiny we didn’t feel crowded or lacking space. I’m sure this was down to the lack of technology, the sound of which seems to fill space more than people or things do
the world didn’t stop because I didn’t respond as fast as normal to emails or phone messages. We live in such an “instant gratification” society, and it was great to be away from it and not be so reactive
Would I do it again? Absolutely. Would I go to the same place, probably not but only because I like exploring new places. If you’re interested in booking it, click on this link. I’d highly recommend it as a great place to relax, unwind and get some perspective.