Rethinking #Unplugging

Unplugging is bull shit—but you should do it anyway 

When people talk about unplugging, they usually make it seem like a religious experience. Unplugging, at least according to these articles, is supposed to make you eternally happier, more appreciative of life.

Take Baratunde Thurston’s Fast Company article, for example:

[T]he fact is, I maintained the same slow pace, the same sense of discovery that I enjoyed during that first week. There were movies, there were food trucks, there were friends, there was mulled wine. There was brief consideration of a mulled-wine food truck. Above all, there was an expansion of sensations and ideas. A writing project that had stumped me before the break suddenly appeared to have endless possibilities. The seed of an idea planted in November started to bloom as I began looking at various Brooklyn buildings that could house a hybrid retail-performance-dining-coworking venue centered around comedy and creativity.

Apparently, unplugging is the equivalent of heaven on Earth.

I’m not against unplugging, but I do question the pontification of the practice. If unplugging is seen as a thing that requires too much discipline and too much time, are people actually likely to do it? And more importantly, if unplugging is seen as something so glamorous—something you should let people know about—then the temptation to tweet or Facebook it while you’re in the process of doing it is stronger.

We’re creatures of habits, and for many people, going offline for months—or even weeks—is not doable.Unless you have millions in your name in your bank account (just like Thurston), can you really be counted on to be offline for an extended period of time? Try telling your boss you won’t be checking your email for the next work week, and let’s see how that goes.

Science has proven that unplugging has numerous benefits, including improved sleep, reduced stress, and enhanced mental well-being. I’m not here to question the importance of going offline once in a while. But we also need to rethink unplugging to make it less glamorous and more practical.

My advice? Set a realistic digital curfew—a time in your night when all electronics must be out. This lets your body produce seratonin (the sleep hormone) while also allowing you to do other stuff. Also, this incremental approach to going offline will make you less likely to #humblebrag about unplugging.

Another option is to regularly attend a fitness class. When there’s a guy or a girl yelling instructions to do push-ups and burpees, checking your smartphone will be last thing on your mind.

Finally, just make a conscious effort to be more present everyday. And this doesn’t have to last long. Start with 5 minutes a day and go from there. Waiting for a long vacation to unplug reduces your chances of unplugging in the long term. Bad habits are hard to kill, after all.

The bottom line: Unplug, but do it often and in shorter bursts. Be realistic about your unplugging approach.

I’m a marketer from Vancouver. To learn more about me, please visit my blog: http://www.kcclaveria.com/blog