From Stressed to Zen: Why it Takes Exactly 3 Days to Truly Unplug

We all know the feeling a bit too well. The feeling when our body physically goes on vacation but our mind still struggles to disconnect. On the first morning away from the office, your brain is still reading emails and mentally checking off your to-do lists. On the second, your shoulders finally relax and you feel a bit more present. By the third, you finally take your first deep breath and realize you haven’t even thought about your phone for hours. But why is it that it takes exactly 3 days to actually unplug and detach from the worries of your everyday life? Let’s walk through the first few days on holiday to better understand this concept

Day 1: Arrive + Decompress

Day one is never about transformation, it's about arriving and settling in. The day often starts hectic due to the transition of leaving your normal daily routine behind and arriving in a new, unfamiliar place. Traveling often disrupts peace and leaves the body in a stressed and restless state. But then, once you arrive at your destination, you’re greeted by friendly faces and a welcoming atmosphere and your body starts to let go again. You start to eat nourishing food, spend time surrounded by nature, and slow down your overall day. Although you can feel the signs of your body physically starting to relax, your mind is busy, still focused on all of the tasks you left behind at home. 

Day 2: Release + Reset

When day two comes around, you wake up feeling more comfortable in your new environment, knowing a bit more of what to expect. You start the day slowly, letting the warm morning sunlight soak your skin. Maybe you do some deep breath work and light movement in nature before heading off to a morning yoga flow. After focusing on nothing but mind-body connection for an hour, you nourish your body with a healthy breakfast and realize that your shoulders have finally relaxed. You start to feel the effects the retreat is having on your body as your nervous system begins to settle down. Throughout the day, you make more space to reflect and notice your screen time becoming lower and lower. Overall, you notice you have more awareness of your surroundings and a deeper focus on the present moment. Mindlessness is slowly replacing thoughts of your normal everyday worries. Day two is when you stop simply escaping your routine and start genuinely disconnecting from it.

Day 3: Reconnect

Day three is when you finally feel truly present. Your mind feels clearer, your body feels lighter, and you realize how much you actually needed the break. By day three, you’re no longer trying to relax… you just are. You find yourself starting your days with a renewed sense of energy rather than simply just feeling rested. Your mind and body are connected as one and share a profound sense of peace. You go through the motions of your new daily routine with ease, moving through breath work, movement, and time spent in nature as naturally as possible. Your retreat begins to feel like home and you realize you never want it to end. 

Why 3 Days?

If it still isn’t clear, 3 days is the ideal amount of time to go from stressed to zen.

If we had to assign a single word to explain each of the first few days on holiday or at a retreat it would be these…

Day One: Disconnect

Day Two: Reset

Day Three: Reconnect

Your mind and body must first completely disconnect from the reality you know in order to reconnect with a new one. Day one is focused on letting go and adjusting to a new routine and environment. Day two is mainly aimed at letting yourself ease into the space and finding your own path. Day three is the day where you truly feel present in the day and allow yourself to reconnect with your mind and body, as one in the same. 

Three days is all you need to remember what it feels like to move a little slower, breathe a little deeper, and be fully present. If you’re ready to take three days for yourself, I have good news for you. Every feeling and imagery I described throughout this article is exactly how it feels to stay at Serenity Eco Guest House in Canggu, Bali, Indonesia. 

From September onwards, if you book a minimum of 3 nights, you will receive a free unlimited yoga pass to attend as many classes as you want to ease your mind and body. Even better, this promotion is valid with a stay in any room type and for any date in the upcoming future. However, if I were you, I would book your stay as soon as possible because, like the true yogis they are, they may gently close the practice when the time feels right without prior notice. 

You can contact them below! Happy disconnecting!

Email: info@serenitybali.com

WhatsApp: +62 811-3888-472