In a perfect world we would all like to think that our lives would be as easy as apple pie! However, in the real world, most of us spend too much time juggling and, if you are anything like me, dropping the balls as, distractions, bills, commitments, over commitments, career, family and life seem to demand more than we sometimes have to give.
So how can we find the time and energy to green our lives, whilst ensuring that we don't end up living in the dark and knitting our own pasta?
One of the easiest things we can all do is switch off, and I am not just talking about unplugging our many electronic gadgets and gizmos, I mean, really switching off from the 'connected' world and taking a digital detox. It may sound scary, but taking time out from the screen, is something that is really good for our health and well-being.
It seems, that we have all become a little too addicted to our mobile devices and, like all addictions, we need to break the habit and reconnect with ourselves and our loved ones.
Unplugging, is one sure way that we can begin to immerse ourselves in our surroundings and focus our minds, as according to scientists, our attention span is under threat! as now, we are, it seems, unable to finish 'tasks' in an orderly or timely fashion as all too often we are distracted by our phones.
We may not realise it, but the seemingly insignificant notifications that we are bombarded with, actually trigger a release of 'dopamine' a stimulant that is actually helping to get us hooked on a 'reward' and 'validation' pattern of behaviour and, when we remove these social notifications or triggers, instances of anxiety and depression increase and that is not good news for anyone...
As a note, if this affects us, imagine what it is doing to our children!
So, why not put down, unplug and rediscover the art of conversation and invite your friends or family to a tech free supper or weekend, and, who knows you may even discover that there is life beyond the bright screen and in time, you may actually enjoy some digital free, real time...
So do a digital detox today...
PULL THE PLUG: Pulling the plug on our many electrical devices and chargers will not just help us save energy. It will significantly reduce the amount of energy we waste in our homes and buildings and that is good news for our pockets and fantastic news for the environment too.
Whatever you do take time to really switch off and be the start of a new conversation. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, then why not get in touch.
If you like this post then why not read more
My partner and I use our tech way too frequently - i've really been thinking about a detox recently, or even just keeping them away from us in the mornings so it's not the first thing we do when we wake up!
I recently got the new Google 3 and am in love with the do not disturb setting. All i have to do is place my phone screen down and it automatically mutes all notifications! I've been forcing myself to detach more from all things technology, I hate the thought of living my life through a screen!
I love our tech free weekends! Especially when we really go for it and go camping or backpacking and hang out in the wild without our phones and devices.