image courtesy of savvy sugar
when i woke up yesterday, i knew i needed to treat it differently. rather than reaching for my iphone to "make sure everything is ok," i resisted and declared it a digital day off. after scanning my sunday to-dos in my head, i realized a few needed connection. and they could wait.
what else to do? well, reading required my ipad where i would be oh-so-tempted to peek at
email. so i secured my eye pillow and curled up in the fetal position. i promptly went back to sleep savoring the sound of rain.
when i woke up later, i pondered where to begin considering my self-imposed limitations and confessed to le beau that i felt as if my kryptonite had been removed.
then i wandered a bit, made a cup of hot cocoa, reviewed my to-dos to see what didn't require connection, and settled in to pen 2013 review/2014 dreams {post + video forthcoming}.
the results were joyful. other than snapping three pictures through instagram {that posted to twitter} and looking at two texts that came in, i was blissfully in the moment. i practiced yoga, sat in meditation for 15 minutes, sipped my first organic hot cocoa with homemade marshmallows of the season {pic above}, watched a delightful film {frances ha}, and played for hours in my art journal and daybook.
however, it wasn't all sunshine and bunnies. i was detoxing. a few times each hour i would notice that twinge. the longing to see what was happening on facebook, instagram, or in my in box. it's a powerful twinge and as with many longings {hello pumpkin pie}, if you ignore it, it will subside. i know that sounds so basic, but it's true.
when on the train this morning heading back to dc, i checked email and was relieved to see there were no emergencies yesterday. the world kept turning and life was well lived. ommmm.
many outlets tout the benefits of taking a digital detox {and it is a weekly tranquility tool}. here are a few: huffington post, forbes, the week, fast company, pyschology today. consider joining the national day of unplugging march 7-8. indulge in the 10 principles of the sabbath manifesto.
mindfulness is about observation, not judgment. the next time you feel that twinge, notice if you can resist {especially if enjoying the company of another}. set designated times to check technology. take time away from the screen. it will do you {and those around you} good. bisous. x
{to explore mindfulness further, join the "mindfulness: tranquility within" e-course}
5 comments:
I think taking pictures should be added to the Sabbath manifesto. The perfect way to capture and seize the moment!
Great post! If we only could believe that stepping away from digital tech would be okay more often! For me, it is definitely a source of procrastination. Even when I'm reading journal articles on my tablet, I still think something needs to be checked even when there are no notifications. Perhaps trying a tech break once a week will led to extended, longer breaks. Fingers crossed!
thank you, charity. it is a lovely way to capture the moment and it's also good to stop and reflect on whether we're missing the moment because we're trying to capture it rather than be with it. always a balancing act. x
sarah, thank you. it's fascinating how much of a struggle this is for so many of us. the daily tech break feels good and you can also try a few hours of tech breaks here and there to ease into it. good luck! x
I thought Frances Ha was such a wonderful film.
The pig mug is adorable.
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