Why do we need to disconnect so much?

Just look around: on public transport, at the table, in queues, screens are everywhere. They connect us, inform us, entertain us. And yet more and more people feel the urge to switch off. To put the phone down, step out of the feeds and find a simpler relationship with time. Where does this need come from? And how can we respond to it without rejecting everything? A few thoughts, with no judgement and no miracle cure.

A life full of constant demands

Always reachable

The phone has erased a boundary we once took for granted: the one between work and everything else, between the moments when we are available and the moments when we are not. Work messages in the evening, group chats buzzing all weekend, calls during the holidays: it has become hard to truly be away.

Fragmented attention

Notifications, alerts, news feeds: our attention is constantly being pulled. Many of us know the feeling: it gets harder to read for long stretches, to stay focused on one task, or simply to do nothing.

Days with no empty space

The small pauses of the past, like waiting for a bus or standing in a queue, are now often filled by a screen. We gain distraction, but we lose those moments when the mind is free to wander.

What we look for when we disconnect

Calm

First and foremost, turning the volume down. Less noise, less information, fewer demands. Finding a kind of inner silence again.

Time

Without screens, days often feel longer. We get the sense of reclaiming time for ourselves, for others, for activities we had forgotten.

Presence

Being truly there: at the table, in a conversation, on a walk, in front of a landscape. Feeling what is happening around us rather than photographing it.

Connection

Paradoxically, stepping away from screens often brings a more direct connection with the people close to us, and with ourselves.

Why it is so hard

If disconnecting were easy, we would all do it naturally. But our tools are designed to capture attention, our working lives depend on them, and checking the phone becomes almost a reflex. This is no personal weakness: an entire environment pushes us to stay connected. Hence the value of creating settings that help us switch off.

How to give yourself real breaks

Day to day

• Turn off non-essential notifications.
• Keep your phone out of the bedroom at night and use a real alarm clock.
• Keep meals screen-free.
• Set aside a disconnected moment every day, even a short one.
• Go for walks without your phone, or with it in airplane mode.

Over a weekend

Half a day or a full day without screens can already make a real difference. Let your loved ones know, prepare what you will need in advance, and plan activities you enjoy: walking, reading, cooking, gardening.

On a retreat

For many people, this is the easiest setting in which to truly switch off. The programme, the place, the group, sometimes an explicit request to hand in your phone: everything helps. Digital detox retreats, silent retreats and stays in the heart of nature, such as trekking or bivouacs, offer a break where disconnecting feels natural rather than forced.

Disconnecting does not mean rejecting everything

This is not about giving up digital tools, which have their benefits too. The idea is rather to regain choice: deciding when to connect instead of simply putting up with the demands. A regular break often lets us return to screens with more perspective, and a clearer sense of what we want to keep.

And after the break?

Coming back is often revealing. We notice what we missed, and above all what we did not miss at all. It is the right moment to adjust a few habits: delete an app, keep one evening screen-free, protect your mornings. Our article "How to extend the effect of a retreat in your daily life" offers a few ideas.

In short

We need to disconnect because our days have become full of demands, our attention fragmented and our breaks rare. Switching off, even briefly, means finding calm, time and presence again. Start with small everyday habits, and when you want to go further, browse digital detox, silent or nature retreats, then click "View activity" to discover the one that will help you truly switch off.