“I feel as though the cardboard box of my own reality has been flattened and blown open. Now I can see the edge of the world.” Tom Hiddleston
We live in a world where technology is taking over more and more of our lives everyday. We are constantly consumed by cellphones, tablets, computers and instant connectivity. We are saturated with information and stimulus. If we’re not reading emails on our laptops, we’re instagramming or being distracted by another digital medium and most of us don’t realise the effect it has on us.
At Iconic Africa we believe that switching the world of technology off every now and again and getting in touch with RL (real life) is imperative to our wellbeing. Doing this in our world’s most primitive natural habitat (the African Wilderness or as we call it here… the “Bush”) can only speed up and enhance your experience. Here are a few tips on why we think it is important:
- The more technology takes over our lives the more nature we need
- Humans are hard-wired to love and thrive in nature (and more specifically in the endless space of grassy savannahs)
- The bush makes us feel alive – it awakens all our senses
- It has the ability to heal the heart, mind and body
- The beauty of the African wildnerness makes us more efficient, inspired and creative
- It can reduce depression and improve psychological wellbeing
- Animal-human interaction builds social bonds and grounds us
- Nature bonds families and friends
Now that we know why it is important here a few tips on how to digitally disconnect on Safari:
- The minute you leave the airport and head for your luxury safari destination turn off everything digital except your camera.
- Make an effort to do things you wouldn’t normally do and do them at a slower more leisurely pace i.e. take a long bath, read a book, go for a long walk, sit and watch the beautiful African sunrise and listen to the sounds of the bush waking up.
- Be aware and observe like a scientist! Immerse yourself in your surroundings and connect with the present by learning as much as you can about your exciting new environment.
- Meditate to the sounds of the African bush this will create clarity and calm the mind in a way you didn’t know was possible.
- Relax, sleep and let Africa spoil and treat you in a way you have never been treated before.
