Editor’s Letter.

THIS YEAR, I’d like to start a campaign. It won’t change the world but I promise that it will improve your life. The catch? You have to turn off your phone when you go on holiday.

For the past few years, I’ve started to disconnect at Christmas. My out-of-office message goes something like this: “I am away and will not be checking emails. Forgive me! It’s the one time of the year that I switch off.”

Most people get it. They find someone else who can answer their questions (or, gasp, they wait until I get back). The sun still rises. The world doesn’t shut down. And I get to have a holiday where the biggest decisions revolve around whether I should start a new book or have an afternoon nap.

And now I’m going to up the ante. When I go on holiday, I’m not only planning to turn off my email but I’m also going to shun social media. I’ll even throw my phone in a drawer.

A study published by Forbes found that three out of five people admitted to spending more time staring at their screens than with the people they love most. (That study was conducted in 2013 so I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest it’s four out of five now.)

The health benefits of a digital detox are many. You sleep better. You feel less stressed and more present. You have a deeper connection with the people around you, with the landscape around you. Maybe even with yourself.

Combine a digital detox with a holiday (a virtual holiday with an actual holiday?) and you may have just found the perfect way to recharge and live in the moment.

And if the idea makes you a bit nervous, you can start small. Go away for a weekend with someone you love – we’ve got 52 romantic escapes (page 53) in this issue – and discover what they look like without an Instagram filter.

Have a great month.