Unplugging. Will you? Can you? Would you? I did.
Monday, March 4, 2013 at 3:00 AM This past weekend I decided to take a challenge and participate in the National Day of Unplugging and go off the grid for 24 hours. After the initial panic subsided when I realized it entailed turning off my iPhone in addition to the computer and iPad, I reconciled with my decision, sent my family a reminder I was unplugging, and waited for the sun to set.
Unplug? Yikes!When I started to journal about the completed experiment, the first word that popped into my mind was Heaven. The mere act of unplugging offered up a contentment I've recently been missing. Since I tend to have a relatively short memory span on things like this, I decided it could be beneficial to record what I noticed over the last two days.
- I slept like a baby! It's easier and more restful to settle in while reading a book than watching Netflix or Hulu. (I'm often tempted by "just one more episode.")
- I wrote LOTS and fell back in love with writing my novel that I've been avoiding for a few weeks. I noticed how little and how much time it takes to make something happen. Fifteen minutes easily turned into an hour and a sentence here or there blossomed into full-blown dialogue.
- It's super fun to have date night. Friday my husband and I went to see "Side Effects" and Saturday night we went out with friends to watch "The Great Flood" accompanied by Bill Frizzell and company.
- Reading became fun again and I made lots of headway in "Flight Behaviors"—a book that I'm finding much more fascinating now that I've completed the entire series of "Friday Night Lights." (Note to self: Netflix obsessions are not a friend to leisure reading!)
- Did I mention that I slept like a baby?
- A fascinating thing I noticed was how many times I wanted to reach for the iPhone or iPad during my early morning quiet time... to check the weather, set my meditation timer, Google a book's title, check the yoga schedule... All fascinating distractions which I'm happy to say I resisted.
- I actually had time to read the yoga magazine that's been sitting by my bedside since Christmas. I found some great tips as well as a delicious granola recipe I'm toasting up as I type.
- Instead of reaching for my iPhone while waiting at the movie, etc., I people watched and daydreamed... always more interesting than playing FreeCell.
- There was plenty of time to start reading "The Art of Possibility" for the upcoming online book club I'm hosting with three other dazzling coaches. Can't wait to read more and share it with you!
- Nature was bursting this weekend. Hubby and I went for a long walk and I took photos with my mind instead of camera... framing them like Kirsten Dunst in "Elizabethtown." In fact, most moments of the weekend were beautifully framed without the distraction of email beeps and Facebook activity.
"The frame does not change the moment, but it changes our way of perceiving the moment." Frederick Buechner
- My daughter and I talked instead of texted!! We went shopping and picked up a few odds and ends for our upcoming adventure to Paris and Vienna. (btw - one space left in the retreat!)
- Napping rocks! I think it may actually enhance night time sleep!
By the time 24 hours and sundown on Saturday night rolled around, I had no interest in turning back on the gadgets (so I kept going). While I do love the connection that the internet and technology provide, I also realize the level of distraction it can generate and how it often gets in the way of living the life I desire.
What I've learned through practicing letting go (not just this weekend or only of gadgets) is that if I really need to know something or someone must connect with me, it will happen!
Remaining grounded and open is essential and staying off the net for 36+ hours was very grounding! I'm also rethinking how I work with technology to bring the greatest balance to my life. Maybe a day a week of respite? Or turning off the distractions for chunks of each day? I'm going to keep playing with that!
The other important lesson I remembered during this time is that I'm always going to miss out on something. Always! It's impossible for me (or any of us) to be schooled and aware of every piece of news, great book, inspiring music, wonderful people and ongoing happenings... so why make myself crazy by trying not to miss out on anything? Which circles back to...
If I really need to know something, it will show up!!
I'd love to know what you think about unplugging. Does it frighten you? Maybe it's easy? How do you handle online time? Has your smartphone become a permanent appendage? How would you complete the following sentence?
When I think of unplugging for 24 hours, I...
Reader Comments (1)
Great post! I cancelled my Netflix quite a while ago (again, btw) as those big movie chunks were not doing anything for my relaxation, productivity or creativity. I do still tend to download episodes and watch only 1 at a time, if that is an option - I seldom get them piling up on me. I don't miss the movies and as of yet my tv characters seem perfectly willing to "wait for me" on my terms. I am away from home so the call of the internet is nice to have although not an every moment necessity. I did "unplug" sort of whether I wanted to or not - I've been very down as in the bed for the last few days with a miserable cold, which I figure would have been the flu had I not been innoculated against that particular monster. Am feeling much better today. This was a great post!:) xo