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When you think about the stress levels people experience nowadays compared to several decades ago, it is much higher overall. People are indeed stressed due to inflation, political unrest, and war. Still, another significant factor is fueling the stress that so many people experience, and that is being tied to their devices. So many people have gotten addicted to social media and the internet. As advantageous as technology has allowed you to access information you couldn’t access easily unless you went to the library, there are many downsides to technology, too. You end up becoming easily exposed to negativity, and you may also find yourself comparing your stresses to other people’s highlight reels, and that is determinantal to your mental health. The best thing you can do to reset yourself is to unplug, even for one day. In honor of Global Day of Unplugging, from March 3rd to 4th, let’s talk about the benefits of unplugging for your mind, body, and soul.
As mentioned, technology has many advantages, such as giving you access to online support groups and creating more jobs that would not have existed. However, it has also caused a lot of distress to your mind, body, and soul for various reasons. Firstly, the impacts on your physical health due to technology have been detrimental as it has caused sedentary lifestyles. You would be sitting at your desk on your laptop for long periods or sitting on the sofa while scrolling on your smartphone or tablet, and even using the remote to turn the TV on and off or changing the channel adds to the lack of activity.
Technology has impacted your social interaction with people, as you will find yourself sitting at a cafe or restaurant staring at your smartphone rather than talking with those at your table. Another profound issue that technology causes is that it can cause you to forget your purpose and lose passion, as you lose the connection with who you are. You become so focused on what you see on social media that you lose yourself through taking in negative news, comparing yourself to others as you focus on what you see as your shortcomings to the so-called advantages others have over you, and you become brainwashed by harmful material.
Another thing to note about the harmful aspects of technology is that you are consuming too much information simultaneously, overloading you. It only shortens your attention span, cognition, and ability to concentrate. Therefore, it can negatively impact your work and your ability to learn and retain information. It can cause cognitive decline.
Therefore, with all of those things combined due to technology, it can cause so much distress to the mind, body, and soul, adding to the other stressors surrounding you. Stress due to too much technology consumption adds to the collective energy, which is dense, heavy, and hostile. That is why unplugging even for one day of the week can benefit your mind, body, and soul to help lessen that heavy and dense collective energy.
Unplugging means you will put your devices away and not use them for online use. You will want to have the devices accessible if you get an emergency call from a loved one. That said, you must let your loved ones know that you will keep yourself away from the phone because you will be unplugging for the day as you may not be available to speak. You will also want to keep away from tablets and laptops and not consume any TV you will unplug on your day. Turn off the radio as well.
Does the idea of doing all of this make you anxious? It is understandable if it does because you are so reliant on technology. But if you can stick to unplugging even for one day, you will be glad you did. Let’s discuss further how unplugging can benefit you.
You may feel some anxiety initially when you do unplug, especially when your first instinct is to grab your smartphone and check your social media or email. However, over the hours, you will feel peaceful because you will find that the stress and anxiety that you feel after scrolling on your social media lessens a lot. At the same time, your mind will be calmer since you don’t have the TV or radio on, and you will not have to hear any negative news. Therefore, you are giving your mind respite from the downsides of technology as you will feel more relaxed and calmer, which only helps your body and spirit.
Don’t be surprised if you say you have slept the best in ages after waking up the following day after unplugging. That is because you will sleep exceptionally well while keeping technology at bay. However, you may disagree since you need to be engaged with something before going to bed to help you unwind, and your choice of doing so is scrolling through your tablet or smartphone. Well, you are free to read as many books and magazines as you like when you unplug, and reading a calming book before bed can work wonders in helping you get ready to sleep.
That way, a calming book to read before bed will also relax your mind, whereas scrolling on social media or the internet only keeps your mind stimulated, which is not what you want to happen before going to bed. Another thing to note is that when dealing with technology at bedtime, the blue light emitted from screens disrupts your circadian rhythm and slows melatonin production, making it challenging to sleep. Without the blue light, you will also fall asleep faster. You need good sleep to keep your mind, body, and spirit healthy.
It would be best to connect with others to keep your mind, body, and spirit healthy, as humans are social animals. However, when scrolling on your smartphone or tablet for long periods, you disconnect yourself from others. It may sound contradictory because you have made online friends through social media groups. And when you chat with your online friends, you ignore those surrounding you. Therefore, technology is why so many people are more isolated than they used to be. Therefore, unplugging will also allow you to connect more with your loved ones and have meaningful conversations, which will only deepen your relationships.
Therefore, instead of sitting there scrolling on your smartphone or tablet or getting lost in watching a TV show or a movie, you will focus your attention on those in your presence. Whether you walk with them outside or go to a cafe, you are creating that opportunity to deepen that connection that may have been lost due to technology.
How productive can you be if you are allowing yourself to become distracted by notifications from your smartphone at work? You can’t be all that productive because it is ruining your concentration, and each time you attend those notifications, you lose precious time and energy that you need to spend at work. However, if you can unplug, those distractions will no longer disrupt you. This will help you improve your focus and concentration so you can effectively complete your work quicker and do your best because nothing will distract you.
Unplugging also means you will be urged to do other productive things, such as cleaning, decluttering, and organizing your items in your home or office. Therefore, if you have been putting off doing those chores that need to be done, you can finally have the opportunity to complete them.
Too much digital noise overpowers your intuition and your inner voice. When you are scrolling on social media, you will land on many negative news stories that can harm your mental health, and you will also compare your life to those who appear to be doing better than you. All that does is cause you to develop self-doubt and feelings as if you do not measure up to others. Therefore, your self-esteem takes a beating.
However, if you are unplugging, you can finally connect with who you are. You finally have a good opportunity for introspection and self-reflection and will rediscover your hobbies or other things you once enjoyed. You will be urged to spend time in nature if the weather allows. Either way, when you are alone with your thoughts, you can learn who you are again. You can quiet your mind and understand your purpose, leading to acceptance and self-awareness.
Evolving technology has advantages, but it has also caused harm to many people. Too much modern technology has created more stress and unhappiness in others, creating a dense, negative collective energy of unhappiness, anxiety, and stress. The best way to lessen that negativity is if people commit to unplugging one day a week, as unplugging provides many benefits to the mind, body, and spirit.
Unplugging will quieten your mind, giving you time to self-reflect; it will reduce distractions and noise, help you sleep better and be more productive, and help you reconnect with your friends and loved ones. Between March 3rd and 4th is the Global Day of Unplugging, so not only will you want to unplug during that timeframe, but commit yourself to doing that once a week to reap the benefits consistently.
