With Christmas only 3 days away, I don’t think there’s a better time to shut down the computers, power down the devices, log out of social networks and take a well needed digital sabbatical.
The idea came to me the other day when a friend commented on facebook that she’d be out out of commission for the next week taking a break away. It made me think, wouldn’t it be nice to take that a step further and sign off from all technology for a while too. Get out of touch online and in touch with reality so to speak??
I know that I’m guilty of it: Intending to take a quick look at Facebook only to spend the next hour browsing my friends status updates and accompanying photos. Or only meaning to quickly post that really cute photo on Instagram, to get bogged down checking out ‘fitspiration’ for the next 25 minutes (and feeling really guilty about that Tim Tam I ate). Meaning to make a quick update to my website and finding 10 other things to fix in the process.
If I didn’t do all of the above for 3, 7 or 14 days what’s the worst that could happen?? The world’s not going to end. I won’t miss out on any earth shattering revelations or news that can’t wait. And if it can’t wait…I’m sure I’ll find out about it anyway without the use of technology. I’m sure all that will happen is that at the end of my designated digital sabbatical I’ll feel refreshed, renewed and eager to start the year off with a clean mind and spirit.
So you decide how long you can manage or how long you think you need to recharge the batteries and get back to your happy place. And while you’re at it….think about all the things that you’ll have time to do that you wouldn’t have had otherwise. Think about that project you’ve been dying to get to but it’s been on the back burner for weeks, months or even years? Think about the simple things you love that have become a rarity rather than a regularity because you just don’t have time….and allow yourself to indulge again even if it’s for a short time. Because you deserve it. And who knows what possibilities may blossom from just giving yourself some time to discover and enjoy again the small things in life.