How Unplugging Can Truly Help You

Hey Everyone. I wanted to share something with you all that I experienced this weekend, unplugging. I went up to the Uinta Mountains for some camping with my family. When you start heading up the dirt road to get to the campsite all cell phone service is lost. Honestly, it started to stress me out. I not only check my notifications a billion times a day but I also have a very active Poshmark account. Not having service meant potentially missing out on a sale. I felt completely addicted to my phone. 

I began to think about how sad it was that I was so stressed out about it. I seriously can’t go just 48 hours without having cell phone service? I am truly dependent on my phone. Before the trip had even begun, I decided that my husband and I would take a trip to town to check my phone for sales that were pending, then head back up. That would take close to an hour alone in driving time. While we were headed up, I asked myself why? Were a few sales seriously worth missing out on quality time with my family? Hell no. I decided right then that I would not be taking that trip and I was going to unplug for the rest of the weekend. 

Guess what? It felt great AND the world didn’t end. All of the sales I would have missed, I just resubmitted and they accepted my offers. It was so nice not to be on my phone the whole time and I even read part of a book.  I felt so much more relaxed without my phone glued to my hand.

So what can we do to unplug without going on a trip?  You can start by deciding to unplug for one hour a day. Put your phone in another room and start the timer. You will learn that just by doing this you will be more present in whatever you choose to do in that moment. You can also turn off notifications to apps you tend to spend more time on. I personally had to turn off my notifications to Instagram. If I hadn’t I would be getting different notifications all day long. I am going to do this with my Poshmark as well, so I can spend less of my day on it. You can monitor how many hours per week you are spending on each app and try to be a little better each week. Be patient with yourself, habits are hard to break and to change. 

Some amazing benefits you may notice while practicing these behaviors are: improved mood, better relationships, sleeping better, increased productivity, and being more present in the moment. I believe that unplugging can make you happier because “comparison is the thief of joy”. I tend to compare myself to others on social media, so if I am spending less time on it, I am therefore happier. It helps with relationships because you can give your significant other your undivided attention they need and deserve. If you unplug an hour before bedtime it is actually proven to improve your sleep. Unplugging boosts productivity because it gives you less distractions to worry about. It can help you to become more present in the moment because you are no longer distracted by your phone, you can enjoy the little things. 

I hope you will join me in a challenge to unplug more frequently. I hope you loved today’s post, if you did please subscribe below for weekly content. I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to read my post.