Going offline to beat stress

The summer heat and never-ending stress are changing the way many spend time with friends. A get-together with the phone away is both digital detox and stress-buster, says Jayanthi Madhukar.

The scorching summer changed the way many socialize. The great outdoors does not seem to be an option as people prefer gathering in homes to escape the heat.

For some, this has meant bringing out board games or playing cards, a quiet and an incidental response to digital fatigue. According to psychologist V Raghuraj, the season itself encourages a slowdown. “The heat makes us slow down and instead of being physically active, we tend to be on our phones or any other gadget, scrolling through social media.” He suggests conscious detox by finding ways to spend time with family and friends gathering around a board game or playing cards. “Think of calling friends and family to come over for slower and more tactile ways to spend time together.”

For many, this has been a gamechanger. For instance, on a recent Sunday afternoon, friends gathered at Preeti Menon’s house in south Bengaluru. Above the hum of the air conditioner, there was lively conversation going on over a game of cards. “Usually, my friends and I go out on treks or road trips but this time, we decided to gather at my place because of the heat.”

Praveen Kumar, who has been working in the city for 10 years, says, “My friends and I host games night at our homes on weekends to play board games,” he says. “Although we can play computer games online, this was one way to meet up and spend time together. We started board games night as our response to this summer. Usually, we do long distance biking but we are waiting for the days to cool down a little.”

Across the city, friends, colleagues and acquaintances have formed groups to play games that are new and interesting. Lavanya G has formed a mahjong group to get people to meet up in person and spend the summer afternoons together. “When we play mahjong, the summer heat is forgotten,” she says. “The mahjong sessions last for a couple of hours and that’s the best way to beat the heat.” The mahjong group has now enough members to branch out to different neighbourhoods. “People don’t want to venture too far away from their homes because the heat makes them tired,” she says. “That is why we have formed different groups to play at different locations.”

One of the rules when playing mahjong is to keep the phone away. “We have ensured that messages and scrolling can be done only for a few minutes at specified intervals,” Lavanya notes. “This way we are trying to restrict the time spent on phones. After initial difficulty in staying away from phones, people are appreciating that we made such a rule. This is the chance to try engaging with simple and wholesome activities.”

As the summer stretches on, these small, screen-free rituals are beginning to feel less arduous and more like a choice. Plans are simpler, circles smaller and time moves at an easier pace. For now, at least, beating the heat does not require going anywhere fancy. All it needs is a group of friends, a table and a game. And a willingness to stay.