It comes as no surprise that as a digital marketer I fill my days surrounded by laptops, tablets and mobile devices.

A tech-advocate myself, I often find myself in need of quite the opposite, a non-digital lifestyle during my down time. This weekend, I trekked a few hours northwest of Atlanta to Sand Rock, Alabama to camp and climb with friends.

While a night under the stars might sound like the ultimate escape from the digital jungle, rest assured, even miles down a gravel road and a view like this one afford you four bars and 3G.

Tech connections aside, I’ve found activities like rock climbing not only allow me to spend some time beyond my screens, but to also exercise my brain in ways that will benefit me come Monday morning (even if my sore abs and knees wouldn’t agree).

Climbing is new to me, and it’s a challenge. It’s like a real life puzzle where I’m battling my size and reach to find the next hold. It’s not a matter of reaching the next ascent, but where to move left, right or push down to propel my body upward. The even better news? According to people much smarter than myself, I’m not the only one feeling the benefits of a little downtime.

A recent study of keyhole surgeons by Iowa State University found that gamers were 27% faster at surgery and made 37% fewer errors. See, worth it.

It’s the time “disconnecting” that will allow us to perform at our best tomorrow morning. And while I may have been able to Tweet and post to Facebook from the wilderness this weekend, the combination was the perfect distraction.

How do you disconnect away from work? And let’s be honest, “disconnect” doesn’t always mean the great outdoors. Pinterest is absolutely an acceptable answer.