Why and How I Unplug Every Day
Why and How I Unplug Every Day
Enjoy the luxury of being offline
As I close my laptop’s lid, I get up, stretch, and check my phone for the last time in the day before putting it on DND. After a long day with a lot of screen time, there’s nothing better than disconnecting from technology and unwinding.
I step into the shower, close my eyes, and let out a deep sigh of relaxation, feeding all the stress evaporating as the hot water trickles down my body.
Now, it’s dinner time with my family or more aptly family time over dinner. There’s an air of mirth as we converse, cracking silly and unfunny jokes which nevertheless invite ringing laughter.
After dinner, I grab a notebook and brainstorm, jotting down any interesting thoughts and writing ideas. If I really like an idea, I come up with a headline and sketch out a rough structure that can later be translated into a first draft easily.
I love this exercise for two reasons — it allows me to think freely and greatly eases my writing process.
As someone that loves reading and has been a voracious reader all his life, I like to end my day on a positive note with a good book.
So I perform my nightly ablutions, make my bed, grab The Richest Man in Babylon this time, and jump into bed.
After some reading, pondering about what I’ve read, I set the book aside, turn the lights off and drift into sleep.
After 8–9 hours of good sleep, I wake up the next morning — recharged, brimming with positive energy, and ready to conquer the day.
Technology and the internet have taken over our lives, even more with the pandemic having us holed up in our homes.
Glued to electronic screens for the most part of our day, it’s important to unplug every now and then — to enjoy the luxury of being offline where we can connect with ourselves and others.
Whenever I feel stressed out, burnt out or my focus wavering, a short unplug resets everything —playing the guitar, working out, taking a stroll on the terrace, conversing with a friend, reading a book, etc.
Anne Lamott rightly said,
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes”