I Went Off The Grid in Baja: 5 Benefits To Living Unplugged
Ok so not entirely off the grid. I had electricity and running water. I did not have flushing toilets or 400 count Egyptian sheets. I had a cot and a bucket and the most amazing life-affirming experience!
I journeyed from San Diego to Bahia De Los Angeles along the coast of the Sea of Cortez with one dufflebag, a long book and a hopeful heart to – swim with Whale Sharks! The gentle giants of the sea which live in tropical waters and can get up to 60 feet in length (though most average 30 to 40 feet)!
While I was ready to jump right into deep open water (even as a land-locked Colorado girl), I was not prepared for the reality of what this trip would (and does) mean to my life.
While it’s hard to summarize such an action-packed whale shark adventure, here is my list of my top five reasons to unplug and do the “thing” (scary thing, hard thing, weird thing, obvious thing….)
1) Growth happens outside your comfort zone.
We often talk about growth as though it is something positive, perhaps easy even and something we should be excited about.
But growth rarely starts out feeling comfortable. Usually it feels scary and unknown. It can feel like standing on the edge of a boat looking into the depths of the ocean preparing to jump in with sharks…and whatever lies beneath!
But growth requires this bit of “unease”. Our brains like the comfort zone. It’s familiar and requires much less mental and emotional energy because we already know what to expect. It’s comfortable.
New situations require us to pay more attention, make decisions and figure things out as we go. Which means our brains may interpret unfamiliar as unsafe. Most likely we are not unsafe, we’re just uncomfortable.
If we give into that discomfort, then we never break out. We never try new things, push our limits or grow. We play it safe and we miss possibilities and marvels! We miss the zen-like moment swimming in the calm next to a giant, beautiful fish!
There is some fascinating research around what psychologists call self-expansion. The basic idea is that we have a natural desire to grow our sense of who we are.
New experiences, new challenges and new relationships can expand our understanding of ourselves and what we are capable of. This research suggests that novel experiences can broaden our sense of self and increase our perception of what is possible.
In other words, sometimes we have to do something different before we can see ourselves differently. Swimming with sharks allowed me to feel more capable and confident than ever before!
2) It’s good for your health.
What happens when we turn our attention away from the digital overlord in our hands? We wake up our senses, becoming more present and lowering our stress response. The nervous system has a moment to go from “what is happening out there” to “what is happening right here, right now” (and oh, it’s pretty great!). This brings down cortisol and raises dopamine, one of the happiness chemicals.
Without my face in a screen, I saw all my surroundings – birds flying, lizards scuttling and even a sea turtle coming up briefly for air and flapping its flipper as if to say hello! Moments that would have been missed, but now live forever as a smile on my face.
I smelled in the ocean air and kitchen fragrances. I touched strange cactus and hot sand. I tasted salty water and fresh papaya. I heard bizarre bird calls and children laughing. My senses became fully engaged and I felt a strong sense of positivity and gratitude to be in that place; that moment.
My health was also so grateful for the many hours moving my body! From swimming to paddleboarding, hiking to stretching, my body felt strong. My mind and body felt connected and healthier than ever. Indeed, consistent movement of the body is one of the best indicators or a long, healthy life!
3) Live, truly be, in the present.
I expected a wonderful vacation – a chance to swim with whale sharks and engage with new people. What I didn’t expect was to feel completely at ease in my body and fully present!
Going off grid meant that I had no obligations to anything other than the present moment. I couldn’t check email, scroll social media, or alter my sense of self. I could just be.
BE – no worries; no place to rush off to; no deadlines – simply belong. Rest in a place. Soak it in. Live in the now. Mindful is the word I use in my practice and with clients. “To pay attention to; to be present”. This was mindful living at its very best!
4) Feel more alive and connected.
Number four really connects to number three. When you are present and feel yourself in a state of belonging, you feel more connected. Connected to yourself, to others, to nature and to the world as a whole.
Being present in a rested, beautiful place allows for gentle reflection. I was reminded of the Metta Meditation (or loving-kindness meditation) which is a practice for opening the heart to both self-love and compassion for others. It’s compassion that helps us to build relationships, have empathy for others, spread kindness and goodwill. It’s compassion that lowers blood pressure, improves gratitude and eases anxiety.
Be present, feel connected and be healthy. How wonderfully simple!
5) You may surprise yourself.
I didn’t plan to be surprised.
I’m an adventurous spirit. I regularly try new activities, new foods, new health ideas. I’m a planner – plan for everything. Swimming with whale sharks wasn’t going to be a surprise for me. I had been practicing my swimming techniques at the pool for months, so snorkeling wasn’t a surprise. I love food, so didn’t expect the food to be a surprise either.
And yet – this trip was a surprise! I was amazed that I could swim for hours in the open water without completely collapsing with exhaustion by the end of the day. I was surprised that I could understand much of the Spanish spoken around me (when I hadn’t spoken anything since high school)!
Mostly I was surprised by how I managed to stay calm while surrounded by whale sharks and even while dodging the head and the tail of a 25-foot whale shark when I found myself in a tight spot!
I was surprised that I don’t do this more often. How often do we say “maybe later” or “I don’t think I can do it” or “I’m not really ready”. But here’s the problem with waiting until we feel completely ready. We may never feel completely ready.
Confidence doesn’t always come before the leap. Often, it comes because we took the leap! Every time we step outside our comfort zone and discover that we can handle the experience, we build something called self-efficacy.
We build the belief that we can influence our lives and handle challenges. What if you did “the thing” and surprised yourself, in the best possible way!
A Final Thought
You don’t have to travel hundreds of miles away to experience growth and connection. Pick one new thing and try it out. Maybe it’s driving a new path home, and discovering a wonderful coffee shop. Maybe it’s trying a new class and ending up with a favorite hobby. Or maybe it’s diving out of a plane and feeling that adrenaline rush. Whatever it is – just get out of the comfort zone, turn away from the digital version of other people’s lives and be fully present in your own life!
The trip ended and we crossed the border towards San Diego. In the van, I reluctantly turned on my phone and heard the familiar ping, ping, ping of 85 texts coming through. I stared at my phone. I turned it off. I can choose to unplug (at least for one more night)!
Special Thanks to Vermilion Sea Institute for the opportunity to learn and to have an adventure. For one week, I was a “community scientist” contributing to the stewardship of the whale sharks and the community. Check out their website to learn about all their amazing programs!
Don’t worry, if you can’t get off the grid anytime soon, consider unplugging with us for an hour or more, while you enjoy a treatment at Boundless Body and Wellness.
