Simple Living Challenge: Unplug
This is an edge for me. When I saw this post, I breathed a sigh of relief and happiness. My time in front of screens has compounded over the years.
Here are the screens in my life:
- iPhone 4s with me nearly all the time
- MacBook Air with me to and from work
- 42 Inch Television in our living room
- Kindle Paper next to my bed side and often with me to and from work
During the week, I estimate I spend 12 hours of my day in front of a screen.
Wake-Up (5 minutes): I wake up in the morning and turn off my alarm on my iPhone; and hopefully I do not feel compelled to check Facebook or my email. There are two reasons for this: (1) I prefer to give Sarika a hug to be the first thing I do in the morning as opposed to checking out random articles and posts on Facebook, and (2) I do not take the time to respond to any messages because I need to get up and get to work. In effect, I will go back and read the same messages and respond to them later.
Work (8 to 10 hours): I sit in front of my 19 Inch display and my Macbook Air and begin plugging away. I go to and from meetings with my laptop (taking notes, etc.).
My Time (1 Hour): When I am feeling tense or tired or otherwise do not have focus, I will take my phone to the bathroom (Yes, I admitted it. You should too.). Or, I will be responding to or viewing random WhatsApp or text messages.
Evening Time (1 to 2 hours): The evening is usually my decompression time, and I enjoy watching something on Netflix. And, I usually have personal emails or things to catch up.
Sleep Time (15 minutes): I enjoy reading and my Kindle has become my de facto reading tool.
In total, I estimate I am in front of a screen around 10 to 12 hours a day.
Of the 18 hours, I am awake each day, I am in-front of a screen for 75% of the time. In truth, I hate being in front of a screen. My shoulders are hunched over. My eyes feel tired. And, I just want to close them after long periods of use. I appreciate nature and human interactions, but my pace of life seems to require virtual interactions to keep up with the pace.
Here are some thoughts:
It’s a journey, not a destination: I am leaving my phone in my bag more and more. I am working on creating a lifestyle where the majority of my day is not in front of a computer, but until then the small moments in between will have to suffice.
Weekends are Precious: I am doing my best to reduce screen time during the weekend. The conditions for less screen time have not manifested during the work week, so I need to acknowledge what is in my sphere of influence.
Looking forward to Day 3. If you are interested in signing-up go toKindSpring.org.
