Unplug and Really Listen

by Jennifer Haupt on July 26, 2009

wildebeest leap of faith

A friend of mine, Nancy Reiter, was on an attorney on the fast-track when she realized that she was so plugged into technology 24-7 that she was merely reacting to the needs of others. At age 36 she was burnt out, depressed, and in need of rediscovering her faith in herself as well as the world. Nancy took a leap of faith: She unplugged for a year and volunteered at wildlife preserves in Africa and South America to reconnect with her childhood passion for animals. But, realistically, how many of us can afford to do that? Here are some tips for unplugging from your life, just a few minutes or hours at a time:

Take a nature break. Spend twenty minutes eating your lunch outside or take a ten minute walk ⎯ just get outside your office!

Set a goal. If you’re like me, doing nothing is virtually impossible. So pick a book to read, a sweater to knit, a new recipe to try ⎯ something enjoyable to do while you uplug.

Unplug from your head. Take a class in something physical.

Create a gadget-free oasis. That means no TV, no computer, no cell…nada!

Schedule “unplugged” times. Put it in your computer calendar, add it to your “to do” list, make it a priority each day for a week and see what happens. Try it ⎯ unplugging can be as addictive as email and Facebook!

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Tagged as: go slowly, Unplug

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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }

Jackie July 26, 2009 at 3:36 pm: I’m like you too– hard to be totally unoccupied! I find that trying new recipes does help, and I’m looking into a volunteer opportunity that involves cooking meals for children in hospitals.
Judith D. Schwartz July 27, 2009 at 3:38 pm: Re unplugging–While I don’t usually do too much with the Jewish Sabbath (Shabbat) I have experimented with making Friday PM/Saturday an electronics-free day. I do find that I move through time differently, and become more aware of things around me. That said, I only swear off electronics when I have “time” to do it!
Jennifer Margulis August 16, 2009 at 7:25 am: We don’t watch TV (or even have one) and we try to stay away from the computer for one whole day a week (harder than it sounds) but the advice I really like here is to unplug from your head. That’s my biggest challenge…
Christine August 22, 2009 at 4:22 pm: These are nice tips – I like them a lot. I just went on a 3 day trip to a place with no internet access and found it so enjoyable! Yet somehow at home it’s so much harder to unplug. Will try some of your suggestions.
Alexandra September 4, 2009 at 6:19 pm: I unplug by walking beside the ocean. There’s nothing like sea air to clear the mind. Thanks for the other suggestions. I will pass them on to my daughters.