Friends Laura Hughes (a life coach and digital wellbeing speaker) and Nicola MacDonald (a resilience coach specialising in technology addiction, among other things) set up The Digital Detox Club to help us find a healthier balance with our tech. You can read more about why they created the Club in the NF13 magazine, but here they cherry-pick their favourite screen-free activities to help you stop the scroll and give your thumbs a rest.
The Digital Detox Club: Offline Gatherings
Once a month, we host intimate, phone-free hangouts in unexpected spaces – from saunas to cafés around the Bath area. The only rule? Switch off your screens. Expect relaxed conversation, games and genuine connection. Think of it as a reset button for your social life – offline and unfiltered. digitaldetoxclub.co.uk
The Island: Mobile-Free Club Nights
A former police station turned underground arts hub in Bristol, the Island’s no-phone club nights strip away the scroll and bring back raw, human energy. Lock into the rhythm and dance without worrying about cameras – no Insta stories, no texts, just heavy bass or headsy techno, the crowd, and that rare thing: presence. Check out RTN on 13 December, featuring Tresor resident Kerrie and a two-and-a-half-hour set of hypnotic and textural techno from Desirèe.
The Silent Book Club
Recently arrived in Bath, this gorgeous book club is free to attend and is located at the recently opened Coret Coffee in Shire’s Yard. The premise is simple. Bring your own book and relax in the quiet for a couple of hours on a Wednesday evening or Sunday afternoon. @silentbookclubbath
The Bristol Improv Theatre: Drop-In Sessions
Forget watching; get involved. These weekly improv drop-ins are all about spontaneity and connection – two of our favourite things. Zero screens, scripts or small talk required. Bath residents should check out Bath’s Creative Playground, a weekly workshop for dancers, actors, multidisciplinary artists and creatives to move, play and connect. , xavierdesantos.com/creativeplaygroundbath
Adult Pottery Painting
Gather a group of friends and enjoy an evening of mindful pottery painting and relaxed chat – a perfect way to spend a grim winter’s evening, and far better for your noggin than scrolling. Tickets include a glass of bubbles and a deli sharing board. Alternatively, you can focus on the pottery-making itself with the brilliant Pottymouth crew, who operate out of Windmill Hill City Farm and run courses and workshops in both Bath and Bristol. flourish-group.co.uk/potterypainting, pottymouthworkshop.com
Black Swan Sauna
Set by tranquil lakes at Glove Factory Studios, this wood-fired sauna invites deep relaxation and reconnection. Alternate between heat and cold plunges while soaking in the beauty of the outdoors. Natural, elemental and refreshingly phone-free – a ritual that brings you fully back to your senses. blackswansauna.co.uk
