Lately, it has been a soul search mode for me. I recently crossed my milestone 40th birthday too and I came across this beautiful quote. It made me reflect on whether we practice this or not. It says, “Your Soul is your best friend. Treat it with care. Nurture it with growth. Feed it with love.” Just like you treat your best friend, treat your soul well too. A happy, satisfied soul means their cup is full, and only when one’s cup is full, can one share happiness with others. 

The human body is made up of nearly 60 percent water. Drink a lot of water. So, we need to replenish it from time to time. The same goes with our souls too. Each person has their way to nourish their soul – at different times of the day too. It is a daily ritual for some, while some do it weekly and others do it when they get the time. There is no set time. Just like water and good food are for the body, there is food and water for the soul too. 

So, what is “food and water” for the soul? If you take the literal meaning of the phrase, you will get a list of people’s favourite food and drinks that satisfy the soul and take it to orgasmic levels. But in essence, it is a combination of everything – food, music, physical exercise, meditation, breathing exercises, good thoughts, and a lot of grounding exercises too. People are already practicing the first four. The last one used to come instinctively to people in the pre-gadget era – now, people have to practice it consciously – unplug themselves from the digital world to stay connected with their nature and surroundings.  

Grounding the soul

So how to unplug digitally? There are increasing initiatives across the globe for the same. Some events range from three days to five days. Do look up online and search for such events happening locally. People organizing such events, take their mobile phones and all gadgets and seal them safely till the event ends. These events are semi-structured where they have motivational talks organized. People attending these can be simply talking to each other minus gadgets. In an event that is inclusive of kids, they would be engaged in their activities – some structured and some left as it is.

Above, we spoke of structured events, but some things can be done by families or individuals on their own as well. For instance, you can set a “no-gadget” day on a Saturday or Sunday just for yourself and your family. The entire day can be spent outdoors (provided the weather is good and u have a good getaway near your place) – swimming, cycling, jogging, trekking, a good drive amidst nature, or even sleeping. A nap is the best medicine for stress! 

So, you can follow a “no-gadget” day too. Just hand over your gadgets to another family member, keep them in a known location at home or turn it off consciously – all by yourself. Disconnecting yourself doesn’t always mean only eliminating gadgets. So, it is about spending time alone with oneself as well. Maintaining a diary to record the emotions that flow through you during the day. Mandala art books are available online as well as offline. You need not worry about “good” or “bad” drawings here. None will judge you. It is extremely therapeutic to draw these patterns. Freehand drawings are good too.

A digital detox routine leaves you feeling rejuvenated and more in touch with your soul.

Listed are a few of the many ways you can keep your soul hydrated and well-nourished:

1. Swimming.
   Water keeps us fresh and grounded. Simply floating in water is equivalent to rejuvenation. A lot of thoughts swim across the mind when inside water. So go ahead and dunk yourself.
2. Drinking lots of water-based on the local climate. Avoid caffeine.
3. Eat a lot of water-based vegetables and fruits. Choose fresh, avoid canned!
4. Sleeping 
   Take power naps to rejuvenate. Don’t shy away from longer ones too. 
5. Trekking
   A weekend getaway into the mountains or nearby hills can do amazingly well. Greens for the eye is therapeutic – combine them with fresh air for your tired lungs!
6.  Me time! Make sure you get a lot of it.  

Finally, surround yourself with positive people and lots of laughter around. After all, “Humour is the best therapy!”

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