Tuesday, November 19, 2013

UNPLUG



The other day I was taking a bath in my glorious bath tub. While I took a bath, I watched The Carrie Dairies on Netflix on my macbook propped up on my sink. I suddenly realized that there was something wrong with this picture. The main purpose of a bubble bath is to relax. How relaxed can you be with a bright screen staring back at you?

I began to think about how "plugged-in" I am. I am constantly checking Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter on my phone. I am always on my computer doing something; emailing, blogging, researching, pinteresting. If I am not doing something on my computer, some sort of TV show or movie is playing on it. I thought maybe since we didn't have cable, I would watch less TV. I used to keep the TV on a lot just as background noise. Since I have started using shows on my computer as background noise, I usually end up paying more attention to it rather than paying attention to what I am doing at the time. 

As much as I love blogging, it has definitely taken a part in my constant attachment to technology. As bloggers we are always emailing, replying to comments, writing/editing posts, fiddling with designs, using social media, and so much more. If we aren't at the computer, we are hooked to social media and constantly taking pictures or doing things for blog content. 

Technology has given this world so many great things. Technology can heal, allowing people to see, hear, and walk again. Technology has helped us waste less and use our resources more effectively. Technology helps us have access to information we may not have had before, allowing us to learn and know more than ever before. Technology brings people together, making distances not seem as far. This is personally important to me as FaceTime has helped me feel closer to my friends and family back in the states. 

Technology is so important in our lives, therefore it becomes important that we not let it take over our lives. This week I have started to make an effort to unplug. I made a large dent in the pile of books I've been meaning to read. I've been turning off my shows while I am doing other things and enjoying some silence. I have been trying to get out more, even if it's just for a walk. I am trying to make more of an effort to devote a certain period of time for blogging and have posts ready ahead of time. I play a game with myself to see how long I can go without looking at my phone. 

Unplugging from technology is hard, but so refreshing. Challenge yourself to unplug for awhile, you won't be sorry!


Linking up with Karly Kim

23 comments:

  1. This is all SO true. I'm totally guilty of this. Some things that have helped me is to only do my blogging in the morning - answer emails, write posts, visit other blogs. Thankfully, I don't work in the mornings so this works for me. My husband and I also try and leave our phones in the bedroom after 8 pm. I just don't want to miss what's going on in life because I'm too busy staring at my phone!

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  2. I love this post! It is so true! I am totally guilty of it!

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  3. One of my colleagues assigns her students an essay prompt where they have to completely unplug for 24 hours, and then write about their experiences. I haven't assigned it because I feel like I'd have to participate too, and I don't know if I can!
    -Rachel @ With Love, Rachel

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  4. Such a good post! This is so true - I realized it awhile ago when Aaron and I were watching one of our favorite TV shows, not only was the tv on...he was on the ipad and I was on my iphone. Ridiculous. Unplugging is such a good idea - especially when you're at home and spending time with your family! :))

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  5. I'm horrible about keeping my phone next to me 24/7 and checking it every few minutes. The phone is a ring too so I would hear it if something happened but I still check it! It's so bad and it's not even like I'm so important person who needs to reached nonstop!

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  6. I'm really guilty of this.
    Your post was so well written. Love it.

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  7. The other day, I bought a pair of knitting needles and some wool. I decided that I was tired of my down time involving screen time, so I took a break. BEST THING ever. I now have a new skill and a scarf. So...yay!

    But you're right, unplugging is a good thing. When I was in England, I downgraded my phone because it was easier to manage there. I had no internet and all of a sudden my life had 50% less screen time than at any other point. It was the best thing ever!

    I'd love to know how your challenge goes.

    Hannah

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  8. I love this! I've recently realized that I waste so much time on my phone! I look at it when I first wake up and it is the last thing I look at before I fall asleep. I'm really trying to change that though!

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  9. I'm so guilty of this. A couple of months ago, the internet was down at our house for a day, and I got so much accomplished in that one day. We don't have cable, so I had to be more creative with how I spent my time. I definitely need to unplug more.

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  10. I definitely agree that technology is a blessing and a curse! Now I try to make a more conscious effort to put away the electronics!

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  11. Stopping by from Totally posted Tuesday! It's so true but so hard to unplug! We lost power during the hurricane last year and had to figure out how to entertain ourselves!

    <3 Vicki
    wildeinthecity.blogspot.com

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  12. That's such a good idea... I will have to try it!

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  13. I love this post. I have been meaning to post about disconnecting from social media. For 2 weeks I deactivated my Facebook, limited my time on Twitter, deleted all my social media apps from my phone (snapchat and vine are addicting!) and boy was it refreshing.

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  14. This is a wonderful post. I actually switched back to an "unsmart" phone a while ago. While I love that a smart phone can access internet (social media, email, etc) and take photos, I realized that it was actually really disrupting my life. So now I have a "real" camera, and a phone that can only text and make calls. It is so refreshing! Thanks for posting. I guess we all have to find a happy medium that works for us. X Jane http://janeheinrichs.blogspot.com

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  15. LOVE this post! I have a goal to unplug for an entire week, and while I know it's going to be super refreshing ... what the heck will I do with myself for a week? I definitely think I'm going to start by deleting my apps from my phone - I'm ridiculous and will wake up at 3am, check my Twitter feed and lose out on an hour of sleep. Ridiculous!! This is a great reminder Mackenzie, thank you for sharing xoxo

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