Inside a Tech Detox Retreat
What happens when you take a full day to step away from your devices, sit with your cravings, and rediscover what it feels like to be human without constant distraction?
That’s exactly what we explored last Spring at my first public Technology Detox Retreat. Think of it as part creative rehab, part mindfulness workshop, and part playground for your brain once it’s freed from notifications.
Setting the Scene
We gathered in a beautiful, light-filled space designed to invite calm. Phones were tucked away (yes, I gave everyone a safe spot to stash them), and people walked in carrying two things:
Curiosity about what would happen when they unplugged.
A bit of nervousness about being “cut off” for an entire day.
The agenda was intentionally unhurried and playful. I wanted participants to have the space to breathe, wander, and notice—not just plow through content like another Zoom training.
We structured the day around six anchors from my U.N.P.L.U.G. framework:
Understand addictive design
Notice your patterns
Plan your boundaries
Let go of FOMO
Use offline alternatives
Generate support systems
Each section blended discussion, worksheets, guided meditation, and creative exercises.
Morning: Awareness is the First Disruption
We opened with a check-in question:
👉 “What role is technology currently playing in your life—and what would you like it to play instead?”
The answers were raw and real:
“I feel like I’m constantly behind, but I can’t stop scrolling.”
“I’m concerned about modeling bad tech habits for my kids.”
“I miss my creative brain. It’s buried under notifications.”
From there, we dove into the anatomy of addictive design: infinite scroll, autoplay, variable rewards, and the dopamine loops that keep us hooked. People scribbled notes, shook their heads, and laughed nervously when they recognized themselves in the examples.
Midday: Embodied Detox
After coffee and a stretch break (no one reached for their phones!), we shifted into more embodied practices.
Guided Meditations
I led three hypnotic audio journeys throughout the day:
The Great Plain of Technology
A tour through all the technology that has entered your life from birth to now.
Then clearing that plain of accumulation to make room for a new life.
Vision of the Future
We imagine a future self with healthier tech boundaries: What are you doing? Who are you with? How do you feel?
Some envisioned writing books, others described family dinners without phones. The visions were vivid and motivating.
Shielding from Distraction
A visualization of wrapping yourself in an energetic bubble that protects focus and calm.
Participants later said it gave them a helpful tool to resist cravings.
Afternoon: Playful Experiments
This is where the fun began. Using worksheets, sticky notes, and markers, participants designed small, playful experiments and reminders. Not punishments. Not rigid rules. Just curious tests.
Some of my favorites:
Phone-Free Meals: “I’m putting a tiny basket on my dining table and calling it the Phone Spa. My kids will roll their eyes, but I’m going to try it.”
The Doomscroll Swap: “Whenever I want to scroll TikTok, I’ll pick up my ukulele instead.”
Analog Creativity: “I’m bringing back gel pens and doodle breaks between tasks.”
We also created “Offline Joy Menus” with lists of non-screen activities to reach for when boredom or craving hits. Options ranged from “take a five-minute dance break” to “pull a tarot card” to “make a sandwich and really notice every bite.”
We laughed a lot. The mindset in the room shifted from detox dread to detox play.
Breakthroughs
As the day unfolded, I watched people soften. Their shoulders dropped. Their eyes lit up. They connected in ways that don’t happen when phones are buzzing on the table.
Some of the most powerful reflections:
“I didn’t realize how automatic my checking was until I sat still and noticed the craving in my hands.”
“Without my phone, I actually felt my brain quiet down. I could hear myself think again.”
“I remembered how much I love journaling. It’s been years since I let myself be bored long enough to write.”
The absence of screens created space for simple, analog joys to resurface.
Why It Works
This retreat wasn’t about a single day offline. It was about breaking the trance.
By the end of the day, participants had:
Mapped their triggers and habit loops
Designed their own experiments for tech-free rituals
Written a Personal Focus Manifesto with their declaration of what truly matters
Experienced presence in community, a reminder that connection feels different when we’re really there for each other
Research backs this up: students and professionals alike report reduced anxiety, better sleep, and more creativity when they unplug, even for short stretches. The retreat put that research into lived practice.
Closing the Circle
We ended in silence, with each participant holding their Vision of the Future and sharing one small next step. There was no pressure to go cold turkey, no guilt trips. Just curiosity, commitment, and compassion.
One participant summed it up perfectly:
✨ “I came in convinced that I can’t reduce my screen time. I’m leaving with excitement about the very real ways I can unplug.”
The Bigger Picture
Technology is here to stay, but so is our capacity for choice. Retreats like this remind us that we can reclaim attention, energy, and creativity through playful, compassionate experiments.
🌱 If you’d like to bring a Technology Detox Retreat to your workplace, school, or community, you can learn more about my offerings here.
And if you’re curious to try this for yourself, stay tuned. I’ll be hosting more retreats soon.
Until then, ask yourself:
👉 What’s one tiny tech-free experiment you could try this week?
Your nervous system will thank you. 💚
If you’d like to support or engage with this work, there are three simple ways:
1️⃣ Invite me to speak or run a workshop:
https://mindfulmarks.com/technology-detox
2️⃣ Buy Me a Coffee to support ongoing research & resources:
https://buymeacoffee.com/pattiebelle
3️⃣ Join my Patreon community for exclusive tools and guided practices:
https://www.patreon.com/technologydetox
Together, we can create cultures where technology serves us and not the other way around.
Hi there! I’m Pattie Belle Hastings.
But you can call me PB. I am a speaker, facilitator, designer, content creator, and professor. I facilitate teams and groups as well as design & lead workshops and courses on creative industry topics. I would love to design and facilitate your company’s creative breakthroughs.
