SPEND TIME OFFLINE
It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the constant barrage of overly political news feeds, emails, and advertisements. Sometimes, you just need to unplug from the static to see the world without the tunnel vision of a digital screen.
We’ve all been on the phone with tech support (or in some cases, been the provider of said tech support) and been told that the way to fix our device is to unplug it, wait 10 seconds, and then plug it back in. The same fix often applies to us, with the exception that we might need a little more than 10 seconds.
All it takes is pressing the button we use the least: the off button. I’m not talking about that “Airplane mode” shit. I mean OFF off. It doesn’t take long before it can almost feel like going through a mild form of detox and the withdrawal from the device almost feels worse. That’s just your brain adjusting itself back into the real world, much like Keanu Reeves being unplugged and released from the fake world of The Matrix. Keep going. You’ll feel better soon.
Our brains were not designed to connect to so many things for such extended periods of time. They need to take in the world around them in one place in one moment. And don’t worry about missing something important. I know we all suffer from FOMO (“Fear of Missing Out”) sometimes, but if something is truly that important, someone close to you will let you know in some way other than Twitter, I’m sure.
If you don’t absolutely need to power on for work or life management, don’t. Take a longer break; you’ve certainly earned it. You can set an email auto-responder to let people know when you’ll be back so they don’t wonder why you’re not responding. Some people even update their Facebook & Twitter profile pictures with an “away image” that somehow illustrates the person is unavailable.
You’ll know you’re ready to reconnect when you finally feel like you don’t need it anymore; when you feel as if you could live a happy life without ever rejoining the digital noise. It will almost sound repulsive to log back in. That’s when you know that (at least for a while) you can use your technology without being controlled by it.
If you have to reconnect sooner, that’s ok. Just turn off again soon and with some level of frequency such as a weekend once a month or one day a week (Sunday’s are good for most people). Whatever works best for your life and your schedule is fine. Consistent disconnecting is what will adjust how you feel on a larger scale. The effects of going offline only last so long; it’s the repetition that’s important. Go ahead and mark your next “Offline” time in your calendar now. I’ll wait.
Listen to the sounds of the wind and the leaves rustling in the trees. Look deeper into every detail of the faces of those you love see the world with your eyes instead of through an Instagram filter.
So turn it all off,
wait 10 seconds (or longer),
then plug yourself back in.
