Sometimes, you just need to be unplugged from everyday life.
“I just need to get offline”, “I wish I could live off grid”, “what if I just turned my phone off and never turned it back on?” are phrases which have left my mouth more than once. As a digital-first journalist with a medium-size following on Instagram, it's fair to say I'm Very Online. I reply to emails on the weekend; I have a screen-time that would genuinely baffle anyone over the age of 35; I post daily on social media; I have been known to take my laptop on holiday ‘just incase’. I am, by all accounts, the perfect candidate for Unplugged.
What is Unplugged?Unplugged, is the UK’s “first and original” off grid cabin escape which offers guests a 3-night digital detox in nature. They have cabins all over the UK, with locations near major cities like London and Manchester. Next month they’ll be launching their 18th cabin, with plans to open 40 by the end of the year.
Their main audience is ‘burnt out, tired workers’ which is why the cabins are all 1-2 hours from major cities. Unplugged have seen a 54% increase in solo travellers booking escapes in the last 3 months (compared to previous 3 months), and 67% of these solo travellers are female.
My partner and I visited Pablo, which is situated near the small village of Fichingfield, Braintree. As East Londoners, this Essex retreat was the perfect distance from home; just an hour's train ride from Stratford, and a short taxi to the remote cabin.
On arrival, we put our luggage into a wheelbarrow provides and set off down a short country lane, through a field, to our home for the next few nights. The cabin is surprisingly chic, with it's large feature window instantly catching my attention.
Inside, the interior is almost completely wood - adorned with cute features in every corner. There are books, board games, a cassette player and you're even given an Instax camera with 10 free films to use for your stay (meaning you don't miss out on any Instagramable moments, whilst being offline).
Everything is powered by solar, meaning there's an actual shower with good water pressure, which sets it apart from your standard camping trips. There's an outside and inside fire, too, meaning we were able to make the cabin feel cozy despite this very cold and wet ‘summer’ we are currently experiencing.
Of course, they also provide a small wooden box with a padlock and key to lock your phone away. They provide you with the key in a sealed envelope so if you want to unlock it, you can, and also an old school Nokia phone for emergencies.
On our first evening, full of holiday-giddiness, we simply lit a fire and made some dinner. We read, and chatted, and enjoyed the novelty of complete silence around us. Not seeing a house or humans in our eye-line felt liberating, and like we were the only two people existing in that moment.
Our second day was a rainy one, which only added to the cozy comfort. I read an entire book, and drank four pots of tea. In the evening, when the rain slowed, we used the maps provided and headed into the nearby village for some pub grub. We walked back, and lit a fire in the cabin and played many, many rounds of Monopoly Deal.
By the third day, my phantom limb reaching for my phone had all but gone. I didn't miss it at all, and wanted to savour and extend the trip. We played more monopoly deal, went on a long walk, found a local tea room, before settling in to a night of star gazing, eating pesto pasta and having a few glasses of red wine.
I can't remember the last time I was offline, intentionally. Over the years I've been at festivals or on holidays where my phone has been switched off, but doing so consciously is not part of my life. This is why, I think, Unplugged felt different; I had challenged myself to relax, do next-to-nothing, and not mindlessly scroll.
Unplugged cite the ‘3-day-effect’ as part of their ethos, which is a science-backed theory based on a study that found that people's cognitive function, levels of calm and stress are reduced considerably after 3 days in nature. The first day may feel a little anxiety inducing, but this is normal - we call this the ‘adjustment period’, but in the long term, benefits are guaranteed.
UK adults spend an average of 8 hours 41 minutes a day on screens (more time than they are asleep), with 66% of UK smartphone owners in a study self-reported suffering from ‘nomophobia’, which is the fear of losing or being without their phones at any given time. We could all use a little time unplugged from our phone, and plugged into nature.
Book a stay at Unplugged, starting from £390, for 3 nights.
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