Friday Challenge: A Digital Shabbat
We Challenge You To A 24 Hour Unplug
We spend too much time on our phones. We mindlessly scroll through Facebook, respond to emails, and post endless selfies to watch the “likes” flood in. When we rush outside to enjoy the burgeoning summer weather, we discover ourselves head down in our phones rather than mindful of the single reason we came outside in the first place.
The idea of putting away our tech gadgets for a short period during our busy week to reflect, journal, meditate, or spend time with friends and loved ones is slowly gaining traction. You might recognize traces of the ages-old tradition of Shabbat in this movement. Shabbat is the practice of removing yourself from all technology (and work, if we want to get technical) from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. It’s a weekly Jewish ritual, as important to the practice of the religion as any of its most holy days.
As more people report feeling overwhelmed by the demands of their social/digital lives, taking ‘a digital Shabbat’ presents an worthwhile solution. Carving out one digital-free day in your week can do wonders for rewiring connections in your brain and unleashing an incredible force of creativity in the process.
At Project X, we’ve tried many times to not check our phones, watch TV or open our laptops for 24 hours. It hasn’t stuck. So we crowdsourced these ideas below from our Shabbat-observing friends to see what could make it possible to consistently unplug for 24 hours. Here is what we discovered:
1. Plan in advance.
If we want this habit to stick, we need to plan for it. Our friends who do it consistently plan to end their Friday workday around 3pm — block it off on their calendars — and start back up on Sunday late afternoon to catch up.
2. Have support.
It’s tough to do this on your own. You wouldn’t be able to meet up with your friends if they were texting and you weren’t responding. So make it a group challenge and set your plans together before you put down your phones for 24 hours.
3. Get a good book and a “paper” newspaper.
You will get fidgety. Trust us, your attention span is not what it was before an Instagram feed and CNN “Breaking” news.
4. Leave your phone far, far away from the bedroom.
Our greatest temptation time — before bed and when we awake. It’s become habit, and using screens before bedtime has been linked to worsening quality of sleep. Instead, bring that book you bought to bed.
We know that going a full day without technology is a big ask. But think about all the other aspects of your life when you get a break: the two weeks of vacation you (hopefully) take each year from work or the small moments of rest you enjoy throughout the day to ensure you don’t burn out quickly. Give it a try and let us know how it goes!
