Holiday Digital Detox

The holidays can bring up stress for many people so we thought it would be a good time to bring back our 31-day Digital Detox. If you followed along with us in the past, you might know a little about this mindfulness challenge we do. If you're new to the Detox, we are happy to help guide you. It's easy to follow along and you'll find that these simple steps can help you clear your mind and promote emotional and mental well-being!

Take Away Distractions

What's your current routine with tea? If you're like most tea drinkers, you get the hot water, prepare the tea bag or infuser, and then let your tea steep and probably grab your phone to pass the time. We estimate that making a cup or pot of tea takes approximately 8 minutes, maybe a bit more if you're using a kettle. What do you currently do during those 8 minutes? Do you mess around with your phone? Or maybe you scroll through your Instagram feed or watch Instagram Stories? Do you watch a few minutes of the news? Whatever you do, our guess is that you're distracting your self and not paying attention to the moment. With our Digital Detox, we hope to encourage a transition from distraction to mindfulness, even if just for 8 minutes for the next 31 days.

It Just Takes 8 Minutes 

Before you make your next cup of tea, put away all of your electronics, and step away from the tv. Really take a moment to be mindful of what you're doing as you prepare the water. Notice the steam starting to rise and feel the slight warmth in the air. When you're placing tea leaves into an infuser or filter bag, pay attention to the leaves and what they look and smell like dry. When you place the leaves in the hot water, watch the color of the water slowly change and smell the aromatic steam. Every moment of the tea brewing ritual has the possibility to be a sensory experience if you're engaged with the process.

Next Steps

As much as we love immersing ourselves in the brewing of tea, you're not going to want to watch steam off a kettle for 31 consecutive days. That's why we encourage you to explore other non-digital experiences while your tea is brewing. It takes 3-5 minutes to steep a tea and it can take 3-5 minutes to write a quick letter to a friend, jot down what you're grateful for, or take in your surroundings and note what beauty you can see. We have also created digital downloads of Art of Tea inspired Coloring Book pages for you to color in at any time you're looking to unwind. You don't have to be engaged with your tea every day during the detox. You just need to be engaged with yourself, your senses, and your emotional well-being. Challenge yourself for the next 31 days to detox from all things digital and spend 8 minutes being mindful, in the present moment.

Click here to learn how to make the holidays even more special with Art of Tea!