In our fast-paced, always-connected world, taking time to unplug is more important than ever. Constant notifications, endless to-do lists, and digital distractions can leave us feeling depleted and overwhelmed. Stepping away from technology and immersing ourselves in nature provides a much-needed reset for the mind, body, and soul. Postcard cabins—cozy, secluded retreats surrounded by nature—offer the perfect setting for a wellness getaway. Here’s how to make the most of your time off-grid with grounding, restorative practices to truly digitally detox.
Take time to intentionally move your body. While I originally planned to practice yoga outdoors during my retreat, the cold and snowy weather led me to embrace different ways of connecting with nature. Instead of flowing through poses, I took long walks in the crisp, fresh air, listening to the quiet rhythm of the season. Watching the snow melt, hearing the birds chirp, and gazing at the stars in the stillness of the night reminded me of the beauty in simply being present. It was a deeply restorative experience—one that encouraged me to pause, appreciate, and truly immerse myself in the moment.
Embrace the art of slow living with a mindful tea ritual. Whether it’s herbal, green, or chai, brewing and sipping tea intentionally can be a meditative practice in itself. Take time to notice the warmth of the cup in your hands, the aroma of the leaves, and the soothing sensation as you drink. Pairing this with quiet journaling or simply gazing out at nature allows for a peaceful and intentional start to the day.
Disconnecting from digital devices is one of the most rewarding aspects of a stay at a postcard cabin. Without the constant buzz of emails and social media, your mind has the chance to declutter, fostering greater mental clarity and creativity. Studies have shown that reducing screen time can lower stress levels, improve sleep, and enhance overall well-being.
Nature walks are a powerful way to reconnect with yourself and the environment. Whether it’s a hike through the woods, a stroll along a river, or simply stepping outside to breathe in the crisp air, immersing yourself in natural surroundings can reduce anxiety and boost mood. Try practicing mindful walking—focus on each step, the rhythm of your breath, and the sensory details around you to deepen your experience.
Stepping away from the demands of daily life and embracing a nature-filled retreat at a postcard cabin is an invitation to slow down, recharge, and nourish your well-being. Whether through movement, tea rituals, digital detoxing, or outdoor exploration, taking intentional time for yourself fosters balance and renewal.
Imagine this: you’re cosy in bed, sun rising, and see endless mountains outside. You hear nothing but trees rustling and harmonic bird song. You feel… Rested, refreshed, rejuvenated… like you’ve just had the deepest sleep in years. Your muscles feel restored, your energy is replenished, and you feel so calm, so zen, so at peace..
This may sound like a dream, but this was exactly my experience at Postcards Cabins Big Bear. Off the back of a 6 month long trip across USA, Europe and Asia, I arrived completely wiped out. My body ached, I was irritable, and, despite being one of the worlds leading sleep experts, I had not been sleeping well. With so much on my mind, a seemingly endless to do list, my stress levels were high, relaxation was low, and I was struggling to switch off.
And, it turns out, nature therapy, rest and deep quality sleep – was just what I needed. I wondered – what is it about this space that makes it so conducive to rest, rejuvenation and relaxation? And it turns out my experience is not unique – rather, there is a wealth of academic evidence to support this:
According to research published in Current Biology, spending just a few nights in nature—away from artificial light—can shift our internal clock, making it easier to fall asleep earlier and wake up feeling refreshed.
Research has shown that exposure to fresh air and natural sounds can lower cortisol (the stress hormone) and increase melatonin production, leading to higher-quality sleep. A study from the University of Colorado Boulder found that even a short camping trip can improve sleep cycles and help people feel more rested.
Repetitive nature patterns – fractals – help relax the body and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, so you feel more at ease.
And Postcard Cabins is literally designed around rest and relaxation. Limited wifi, a cellphone lock box, mindfulness activities like colouring pages and books to encourage self care… it’s intentionally curated to help you think less, relax more, and sleep deeper than ever.
So… if you… like me, are feeling a little overwhelmed, needing some space, struggling to sleep… book a trip to your closest Postcard Cabins. Located within 2 hours of major cities across the US, there is bound to be one within driving distance.
And, especially with March being Sleep Awareness Month, there is no better time to prioritise your health – which starts with prioritising your sleep. Within a few days, like me, you will remember what deep, rich, restorative rest feels like and back to your best self again exactly as you deserve.
Look forward to experiencing this, and so much more.
Olivia
BIO:
Olivia Arezzolo is Australia’s Leading Sleep Expert, Speaker, and Author in 10 countries.
Featured on The Morning Show, The Today Show, Sunrise, Studio 10, Nine News, Sky News, Forbes, Daily Mail, Yahoo, MSN, News.com.au, Body and Soul, Women’s Fitness, Women’s Health, Business Insider and New York Post; Olivia has also been a spokesperson for IKEA, Sealy Posturepedic, Tempurpedic, Audible, Samsung, Toyota, AIA Insurance, Medibank, The Westin, Marriott Bonvoy, The Body Shop, T2, Fitbit and more. Her international bestselling book, Bear, Lion, Wolf is published in 10 countries; and her most recent venture – a Wellness Weekend with The Westin, saw her recommended throughout Asia and USA. To learn more, visit oliviaarezzolo.com.au, head to instagram @oliviaarezzolo, and email [email protected] – she would love to hear from you.
We asked Jaime Batchell-Shelbert, RDN of Wholly Nourished, to share some of her favorite hiking snacks when she visits Postcard Cabins. As a registered dietitian, she had great insights and ideas — whether you’re leisurely walking on the Nature Trail near your cabin, or are venturing out to a more challenging hike in the area.
Postcard Cabins Tip: Check out our Local Guides for trail recommendations and more before your stay.
One of the many reasons I book regular stays at Postcard Cabins is for the opportunity to get outdoors and hike the nearby trails. While the weather forecast, type of footwear and gear are all important to consider before heading out on a hike, my registered dietitian mind immediately prioritizes food. I’ve compiled a selection of my favorite hiking snacks to pack on your next adventure that are portable, will sustain your energy (no blood sugar dips!) and will keep everyone in your hiking party happy.
But first, why is it important to choose nourishing snacks for your hike?
Choosing the right nutrient dense snacks provide sustained energy for your hike. For example the mix of carbohydrate, protein and fat in a handful of nuts and a piece of whole fruit results in steady blood sugar, whereas a sugary pastry containing excess refined sugar and fat provides a temporary spike in energy followed by feelings of sluggishness.
Smart snacking not only provides endurance during your hike, but also supports recovery after your hike. For example, highly processed chips or cookies contain ingredients that promote inflammation in the body, whereas whole or minimally processed foods help reduce inflammation thus promoting muscle repair and reducing muscle soreness.
Believe it or not, choosing the right healthy snacks can be the difference between having a successful hiking experience versus a miserable one. Snacks provide enjoyment of the experience, stave off mid-hike meltdowns (if young children are involved) and provide a sense of comfort on unfamiliar terrain. To this last point, the same breakfast cookies we enjoy at home as a family, provide feelings of home and comfort while on the trail.
What are some variables to consider when choosing snacks?
Duration of the hike- Lighter snacks may work well for shorter hikes, but longer hikes require more calorie/nutrient dense options.
Difficulty of the trail- Much like hike duration, difficulty of the trail dictates what we pack in our snack pack. Again, simple snacks like hummus and veggies are ok for easy trails, while more thought out snacks with a balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat are necessary for more rigorous trails (think overnight oats with nut butter and berries).
Weather- Warmer weather calls for more hydrating options like cucumbers and oranges and foods that don’t easily spoil. Cooler temperatures allow for a wider range of non-perishable and fresh snacks like beef jerky, cheese sticks and berries.
Nourishing Snack Ideas
Low-intensity hikes
Veggies and hummus: A lightweight, hydrating, nutritious option for shorter hikes. Fresh or dried fruit: Pick portable options that do not bruise easily such as apples, oranges or dried mango. Pair with a small amount of nuts or nut butter to avoid sugar crashes. Nuts or nut butter pouch: Portable as well as being a good source of healthy fat and protein. Pair with high carbohydrate foods such as fresh or dried fruit. Granola/granola bar: Homemade or a minimal ingredient store-bought options are best, filled with whole grains, nuts, seeds and dried fruit. Add dark chocolate or dried coconut as an extra treat! Trail Mix: Provides a quick, portable energy boost without the crash…thanks to a balance of carbohydrate, fat and protein. Look for a brand containing nuts, seeds and dried fruit or make your own! Peanut butter pretzels: Great for quick and portable snacking.
These examples provide mostly carbohydrates with a small amount of fat or protein for energy, which is preferred during a shorter hike.
Higher intensity hikes
Overnight oats: A nutrient dense, power snack that is easy to prep ahead. Combine oats with milk and flax or chia seeds to set and chill overnight. Top with nut butter, nuts, berries, seeds, etc. for calories and nutrients. Peanut butter bagel with fruit or honey: Provides a balanced meal for longer hikes that is also good for recovery. Yogurt and granola: A great cool weather snack. Choose Greek yogurt for added protein and add granola for carbs and fat. Filled with nutrients and calories for longer treks. Cheese, whole grain crackers and fruit: A combo that provides protein, fat and carbohydrate for sustained energy. Energy bars/bites: Portable snacks that can be made with nutrient/calorie dense ingredients such as nuts, nut butter, oats, flax seeds, honey, cacao nibs, dried fruit, etc. See the recipe below for my chocolate almond energy bites. Stuffed Dates: Easy to make and naturally sweet. Just add nuts or nut butter and dark chocolate. Dates offer natural sugar for energy and potassium, which is needed for muscle function. Breakfast cookies: Similar to an energy bite, contains whole, good-for-you ingredients with a mix of macronutrients. Trail mix: This snack does it all- both short and longer hikes. Trail mix is calorie dense and lightweight, offering sustained energy and nutrients without taking up valuable pack space. Mix it with granola, coconut chips, or roasted chickpeas for even more energy throughout longer hikes. They call it “trail” mix for a reason!
These examples provide a balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat along with more calories to support endurance on and recovery from a longer hike.
Final thoughts
Water: Always pair your hiking snacks with plenty of water or electrolyte beverages, the latter being especially important on longer hikes. A good rule of thumb is 16 ounces of water per hour.
Storage: No matter the length and/or difficulty of the hike, lightweight and portable are key as well as utilizing environmentally friendly storage and packing solutions. Reusable silicone bags are always in my arsenal as an eco-friendly option. Wax or parchment paper works well for sandwiches. I also like to use stainless steel containers with dividers to accommodate a variety of snacks.
Recipe Spotlight
Chocolate almond energy bites
Ingredients:
3/4 cup almonds 1/4 cup cacao powder 3 tablespoons hemp seeds 3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes 3/4 cup pitted dates (soaked in hot water for 20 minutes then drained) 1 tablespoon water, plus more if needed 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
Method:
1. Add almonds, cacao powder, hemp seeds and shredded coconut to a food processor. Process into a fine powder. 2. Add in the soaked dates, water and maple syrup. Pulse until a dough-like consistency forms. Add more water as necessary. 3. Roll dough into small bite-sized balls. 4. Roll balls in extra shredded coconut flakes if desired.
Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients:
1 large banana, mashed 1 cup gluten free, whole oats 1/3 cup natural peanut butter 3 tablespoons dark chocolate chips Optional: add 2 tablespoons protein powder
Method:
Mix the banana, whole oats and peanut butter together in a small bowl. Add the protein powder, if using, and stir again. Add in the chocolate chips and stir to incorporate. Form the dough into four large cookies. Place on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Bake in a 350° oven for 12 minutes or until set.
Americans spend 87% of our time indoors, and almost half the remaining time in an enclosed vehicle. That means we’re only outside 7% of our time — and over the past year or so, you’ve likely spent even more time indoors than usual.
Spending time outside does wonders for our bodies and minds; it can also help us feel more connected to the world around us. Researchers have found that regular exposure to nature lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, betters sleep, reduces stress, and improves self-esteem and memory.
If you’ve found that you’re spending more time indoors this year, especially as the weather cools, we challenge you to try to spend at least 30 minutes outside every day this week. Here are a few ways to fit more time outside into your schedule.
Walk a Dog
Dogs are a great excuse to get outside. If you don’t have one of your own, offer to take a friend’s dog for a walk. You’ll be doing them a favor while reaping the benefits of fresh air — plus, the pup will love to explore your route.
Hit the Streets or Trails Instead of an Indoor Workout
Your jog will be a lot more interesting when you trade the treadmill for the real world, whether you’re running on streets or in parks.
Watch a Sunrise or Sunset
Making time to catch the sun rising or setting is a great way to get outside, enjoy the beauty of nature, and either wind down at the end of the day or spend some moments centering yourself before your day begins.
Take a Walk at Lunch or During a Meeting
Fitting in a bit of exercise and a dose of nature in the middle of your workday is a great practice to begin. Try heading out for a quick walk during your lunch break, or take a walk during a meeting — it’s likely you’ll have a bit of extra energy for the rest of your day.
According to professional organizer Regina Lark, the average American owns 300,000 items — so much stuff that it’s spilling out of our homes entirely.
Whether you have a lot or a little, most organizers agree that there’s no “right” number of items to own.
“We all have different standards for what is too much,” writes interior designer and life coach Tisha Morris in her book Clutter Intervention. “What may seem cluttered to me may feel like a cozy haven to you. What may seem cold and stark to one person may feel liberating to another.”
The important thing is to make sure your belongings meet your needs and make you happy — and that you’re not saving space for those that don’t.
If you’re ready to embrace a bit of minimalism, here are a few tips to help you get started on auditing your belongings.
See Your Home Like a Guest
We can get so accustomed to our homes and belongings that we stop truly seeing them. Next time you return home, scan your space as if you’re seeing it for the first time. What do you notice? Are certain areas more crowded or cluttered than others? Are there things you could put away or remove entirely?
Designate a Place for Everything
You wouldn’t put a spatula in the bathroom. Apply the same philosophy to shoes, clothes, mail, loose change, and anything else that tends to pile up where it doesn’t belong.
Follow the “30-Second” Rule
According to Sandra Felton, the founder of Messies Anonymous, “if it takes 30 seconds or less to do a job, do it immediately.” This includes things like hanging up clothes, putting away shoes, or loading dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Making a habit of putting things away immediately will save you lots of time in the long run.
Store Items Temporarily
This technique allows you to see what you actually use, and it works especially well for decluttering kitchens and closets. Stow kitchen supplies and closet items in a closed box. Remove each item from the box when you need it and return it to its original home after use. After a few months, you know that what’s left in the box, you don’t use.
Practice One In, One Out
For each new item you bring into your home, select one item you already own to give away or recycle. If the thought of getting rid of something gives you pause, consider whether you really need that new item after all.
We’re asked to pay attention to a lot in our day-to-day lives. With so much to focus on, it’s easy to get worn out, a phenomenon psychologists call directed attention fatigue (DAF). You might recognize the symptoms, which include feeling distracted, forgetful, impatient, or irritable.
The most effective way to rest and restore is to shift our attention to something that engages us without requiring sustained focus. The natural world offers an ideal fix, stimulating our senses—rustling leaves, birds in flight, clouds drifting overhead — without demanding heavy concentration.
If you’re looking for something more active than simply soaking in the great outdoors, try gardening. Here are some tips to help you get started.
Start Small
If you don’t have much gardening experience, start with just five to seven plants. Choose a few you’re excited about; you can always add more next season.
Find a Sunny Spot
Kathleen Frith, president of the sustainable agriculture organization Glynwood, recommends selecting a spot that gets at least six hours of sunlight a day and using a raised garden bed, which gives you control over your ratio of soil and nutrients.
Weed First
If you take time to clear your plot of pesky weeds before you start planting, you’ll save yourself the headache later and ensure that your plants have the best chance to grow and thrive.
Label Your Plants
It’s easy to forget which plants are which, or where exactly you buried those seeds. As you’re planting, set labels in the soil. You can use the ones that come with store-bought plants or make your own with markers and popsicle sticks.
It’s one thing to wonder whether you’re on your phone too much, but it’s another to face up to the cold, hard evidence. Based on data collected by RescueTime, the average person uses their phone for three hours and 15 minutes every day. But before you start blaming yourself, keep in mind that our phones were designed to take advantage of the biological makeup of our brains to capture our attention.
Beginning to adjust your phone usage takes both willpower and consistent mindfulness to keep track of how much time your phone is consuming. Here are a few easy steps you can take to ensure your phone usage stays in check and your time remains your own.
Track Your Total Phone Usage For One Week
In your phone settings, check out your screen time and review the daily and weekly reports on how much time you spend on your phone. Decide how much time you want to allow yourself to spend on each app and set limits accordingly.
Bury Your Most Addictive Apps
By organizing your home screen so that your most addictive apps are in the back pages, you turn passive apps — apps you go to out of habit, just to zone out — into affirmative apps, which you consciously seek out for a purpose.
Download Other Apps
If you’re willing to accept the irony of using tech to limit your tech use, there are dozens of additional apps that track and limit your screen time. A few of our favorites include Rescuetime, Getsiempo, Freedom and Off the Grid.
Entering the National Radio Quiet Zone, which stretches 13,000 square miles across eastern West Virginia, you might feel like you’ve stepped back in time. There’s no cell service, no Wi-Fi, and the radio only picks up the lowest-frequency stations.
The zone surrounds and protects the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, where the massive Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope tracks and reads energy waves from stars in galaxies thousands of light-years away.
The community is so serious about disconnection that it even has “RFI Policemen,” roving disconnection cops who come after anyone who produces any radio frequency interference.
Tech-free spaces have flourished in recent years. Some are one-off gimmicks like Kit Kat’s “Free No-WiFi Zone” campaign. Others are more immersive, like the London restaurant the Bunyadi, which banned phones, turned off the electricity, illuminated tables by candlelight, cooked food over an open fire, and even banned clothes. (Perhaps too far for some of us.)
Here are a few key times and spaces to create no-phone zones in your home:
1. Drive Time
We already know we shouldn’t be texting, browsing, or dialing while at the wheel. Here’s the next step: Even if you’re just along for the ride, try locking your phone away. How many friendships have been forged in the idle time on road trips? How many family challenges have surfaced on rides home from school? How many new ideas pop up while staring out the window at passing scenery?
2. TV Time
If you’re in the habit of scrolling through your phone while streaming Netflix, you’re not alone: According to a 2018 study, over 178 million Americans report using another device while in front of the TV. This is known as media-multitasking, and neuroscientists warn that it’s bad for our brains. In tests of attention and working memory, heavy media multitaskers perform notably worse than those who stick to a single screen. So savor leisure — and save your memory — by watching one thing at a time.
3. Dinner Time
For millennia, humans have connected with one another over shared meals. Having phones out at the table — even if we’re not actively engaging with them — diminishes the quality of our interactions by suggesting that our attention could be drawn away at any time. Banish phones to restore the dinner table as a site of emotional, intellectual, and physical nourishment.
4. Bed Time
There are lots of good reasons to keep our phones far away from our beds: The screen’s blue light disrupts our body’s melatonin production; the addictive allure of social media keeps us scrolling mindlessly past our bedtimes; the way phones distract us from downtime with our partners; the non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation they emit that our body tissue absorb… Here’s a tip: If you use your phone alarm to wake up in the morning, swap it for a physical alarm clock.
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