Unplug Yourself
I grew up in the late 60’s/early 70’s in a small (ish), new town in the North East. Although my dad always had a job, and my mum seemed to always be doing something work-wise, usually part-time and around our school hours and my dad’s meals, I don’t think we were particularly wealthy. We always had good home-cooked food, a holiday to the Lake District every year, there was always fresh fruit, fizzy pop, ice creams and a Birds Trifle on Sundays, and my dad always had a company car (later a transit van, but still transport). But we were definitely working class. Treats and days out were simple and basic; an ice cream on the Transporter Bridge (there was always an ice cream van on the Transporter Bridge), a trip to Crimdon beach with a picnic of jam sandwiches and pop, or a trip to Chester le Street with a giant inner tube inflated and tied to a tree by a huge length of rope so we weren’t swept away down the river. Health and safety was a bit more simple then too…
We didn’t need to ‘unplug’ because we weren’t plugged in. There were only 2 or 3 TV channels (if you had a telly, and even if you did it might not be a colour one), kids programmes showed only after about 3pm (not counting Watch with Mother which I think was at lunchtimes), you might have had a record player and maybe a tape recorder (that took a huge battery and that you would at some point labour over to tape the top 20 on a Sunday, trying desperately to press record and play at just the right time to get the whole track).
We made our own entertainment with the bare minimum of items. If we were lucky someone might get a real cricket bat for a birthday and then we’d use stumps scratched on to a wall and any kind of ball we could find. We’d usually have a ball of some description, until someone kicked it onto a roof, or some slightly less friendly neighbour confiscated it because it had gone into their garden once too many times.
We didn’t need to unplug, because we were unplugged. We made up games, we drew on pavements with chalk, we used boot polish tins to play hopscotch and we fastened countless elastic bands together to make ‘French skipping ‘ games. We blew bubbles made from washing up liquid, perfume from rose petals and had ‘jazz band’ maces made from broom handles, an empty bleach bottle and adorned them with nailed on bottle tops. (different times re: health and safety as I said). We had stilts made from scaffold boards and go karts made using old pram wheels that had no brakes.
We dug in the dirt and we stayed out until dark…. Different times.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not against technology, social media or progress, I wouldn’t be writing this here, today, without it. I do, however, think it’s really important to unplug whenever we can. I think it’s so important for children to get dirty and to use their imagination and play. I equally think it’s important for us all to unplug and to notice what is around us.
To breathe, recharge, relax.
Personally I am grateful that I was born when I was and that I grew up during an era in which I had to use my imagination and creativity and that I developed a lot of skills. I like nothing better than blowing bubbles in my garden, only these days I don’t have to make them from washing up liquid… oh and I can still twirl a stick like I am the majorette leader in a jazz band.
Unplugging yourself and having a digital detox has many benefits.
Increase your productivity — Distractions are your biggest enemy when it comes to getting your work done. Every ping, beep, popup, and message notification sucks precious moments from your day.
Improve your personal connections — Turning off the tech helps you become a better communicator. I’m not saying you have to sit down and hand-write a 10-page letter to your distant cousin every week. I’m talking about spending REAL time with the people near you.
Jump-start your creativity — While stream-of-consciousness typing can unlock thoughts and get crap out of your head, you should also try mind-mapping on paper. Take it a step further and write some things by hand.
Get more sleep — If you’re like most people, you regularly stay up late watching “just one more” episode on Netflix, or doing “one last check” on social media. My completely unscientific observation is that when I set a time to turn off my phone and laptop (and yes, the television) and leave quiet space afterward, I go to bed about 60-90 minutes earlier and sleep better because my mind isn’t still processing everything I just looked at.
Stop the comparison-itis — Nobody needs to constantly look at impossibly perfect photos of other people’s lives. Just like “reality” television, there’s likely very little of it that’s “real.” Save yourself the emotional stress and take a step back.
Ways to unplug:
- Go for a walk or a run, without headphones in
- Read a book
- Cook a meal
- Meet up with a friend for a chat
- Play a board game
- Listen to music
- Tune into nature
- Meditate