Going Unplugged

Modern life is so fast-paced. We have people to see, things to do, places to go. We work, we parent, we hustle our kids off to a thousand activities in between. We bring our work home with us, while doing chores and errands and helping with homework. We are constantly connected to the outside world. Distantly of course. Social media allows us to stay in touch with friends, acquaintances and strangers while we ignore our loved ones in the same room. Our hands are more likely to be holding a smartphone than an actual…hand. Our lives are made easier, yet consumed and almost overrun by the buzz of technology that surrounds us.

There is so much…noise. Traffic, tv, crowds of people, the dings of text messages. Sometimes we become so accustomed to sounds that we leave the tv on as background noise just to avoid silence. We have to have the car radio on constantly because we need something to entertain us at all times.

We live to work, not work to live. We stare at computer screens for 8 hours and then come home to stare at a screen the rest of the night. Plugged in, plugged in, plugged in.

Have you ever grown tired of it all? Have you ever dreamed of going unplugged?

I dare you to go unplugged once in a while. To bring simplicity back into your life. I dare myself.

Go one day without checking social media. Ok, too long. Start with a few hours.

Leave your cell phone behind one day and take your family to the park for a picnic. I know it’s scary. What if you break down? Or miss an important phone call or text? How in the world did they do stuff like that pre-cell phones? Somehow people managed. Try it.

Spend a Saturday at home with your spouse, children or invite a friend over. Close your laptop, put your smartphone in the bedroom, turn the tv off and talk. Yes, that’s right. Talk. Play a board game. Discuss a book you just read. Ah, books. You remember those don’t you?

Write a letter to someone. Not an email. Not an instant message. Not a text. A real letter with a pen. I once read an article that said we are a nation of adults who write like children. We’ve even stopped teaching handwriting in our schools. It is a lost art. Let’s learn to write again. Pen and paper. Imagine the genuine, pleasant surprise the recipient of that letter will experience.

Take a walk. No, not on that virtual reality video game. Or on a treadmill. An actual walk. Outside in the fresh air. Smell it. Appreciate nature. Pick a flower. Walking is good for your physical and mental well being. Go crazy. Try it everyday. It works.

Find a hobby. Learn to paint. Take that cooking class you’ve been thinking about. I’m sure there are things you’ve been wanting to do, if only you had more time. Make time.

Grow your own food. You don’t have to move to the country or become the world’s greatest urban gardener. Plant a few fruits and vegetables. Save some money. Have the pleasure of knowing where your food came from. Grandma and grandpa did it. So can you.

Are you overburdened by your kids’ schedules? It’s ok to cutback. No really. I’ll tell you a secret. Sometimes the kids are overburdened too. Ask them if they even like the activities they are involved in. The answer may surprise you and make the decision making a whole lot easier.

Are you overburdened by your schedule? Pace yourself. Learn to say no. Sure, it will be hard at first. But it becomes easier over time. Say no the next time you don’t want to do something. No explanation. No made up excuses. Just say no. What’s that sound? Oh, yes. Freedom.

Next time you see something amazing, don’t take out your smartphone to snap a picture or take a video. Just this once. Be fully present and in the moment. See it through your own eyes, not through the screen of a phone. Let some memories be pure and unfiltered. Yeah. It’s hard for me too.

Slow down. Put the electronics down. Talk to each other. Breathe. Enjoy life unplugged. Even if just for a little while.

Featured Image by Matthew G