The original version of this story was first published in June of 2018. I no longer use Moment app (I’ve graduated), my daughter is no longer a teenager, and I’ve applied the Forest Bathing concept to my backyard patio – it works just fine there too!
In our 24/7 modern lives it may seem nearly impossible to disconnect from the rush of our days. Days turn into nights, and we can easily lose track of how to unwind and unplug.
While the actual cord unplugging from an outlet may be passé, the symbolism is still ever-present and worth acknowledging. Here are five ways to master the art of unplugging.
One
I love technology like most others, but there comes a point where it’s use can usurp our time. Checking Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat (oh, my teenager’s heart!) – these are daily habits that would seem foreign just a decade ago, yet have become ubiquitous in our culture.
Believe it or not, there’s an app for that! Moment tracks your smartphone use and lets you know how many minutes or hours you use it each day. You can also “set daily limits and get back to your life.” The app gives you insights into screen time, waking life, pickups (number of times you pick up your phone), sleep and most used app.
Here’s a screenshot of a recent week of my phone use – I can see that I used my phone excessively on Saturday (my daughter’s prom photo extravaganza) and Thursday (an afternoon at the hair salon). Otherwise, not so bad.
Two
Another way to unplug from technology is to designate one day per week of no computer use. One retiree I know who did this is so happy with her tech-free day, she is planning to add another day per week. It may seem daring, but if you notify your relatives and friends ahead of time, it can be done. The challenge for some of us may be to notify our boss or coworkers!
Three
Let’s not blame technology for everything. Sometimes our day just gets overbooked and over scheduled, meetings or appointments overlap, and we find ourselves pondering just how to grab a bite for lunch.
Enter the Ten Minute Oasis. I coined this term to encourage many busy professionals to get better balance in their work day. The goal is to take ten minutes in the middle of your busy day (not at the end, right before bed, but in the middle of the fray) and just disconnect: turn off phone ringers and computer sound, close your laptop or swivel your chair to the other direction, close your office door (and let everyone know that you are unavailable for the next ten minutes), and just exist.
No need to do formal meditation, but you can choose to focus on breathing. I like to put my feet up, look out my window and observe the cityscape and sky. A cup of tea is nice, but not required. It is amazing how just ten minutes can be so refreshing.
Four
Forest bathing is a term that has recently come into the mainstream. It first started in Japan in the 1980s as a way to augment healing and to support preventive care. Modern scientific research has demonstrated the healing effects of being in nature.
One of the main ingredients is a forest, but you can define that in many ways. You can forest bathe almost anywhere – your local park, along a stream, in the mountains, or near a lake.
Here is a quick reference to learn more: 5 simple steps to practising shinrin-yoku (forest bathing).
Five
Ending on another technology note, one simple life-changing trick you can do right now is to set up an automated notification for all emails to let everyone know that you may take up to three days to respond (or whatever time frame you choose). This will encourage others to acknowledge the limits you are setting for yourself and perhaps, over time, reduce the volume of second emails sent 30 minutes after the first ones asking if you received the first email.
Bonus if you explain in your automated message why you are doing this.
Happy unplugging!
