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August 14 Weekly Challenge: Unplugged

themedalist
themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
edited November 20 in Social Groups
Theme: Greater Happiness Challenge
Challenge: Unplugged (By Request)

The goal of this week's challenge is to create a little more quiet space in our lives. Let's do that by stepping away from our phones, tablets, laptops, personal computers, and other devices briefly and taking a technology break this week.

How long a break is up to you. You may find an hour a day or several hours daily challenging and helpful, or you may find a slot in your daily routine (such as lunch time?) that's perfectly suited to some quiet downtime.

I'm going to be giving up my phone and computers for 24 hours. I've picked a relatively quiet day, next Sunday, as my day. I'm excited, and a little daunted, by the prospect of not using my phone, iPad, or laptop for 24 hours. My life is intertwined with these devices. Lots of positive things stem from using them, including this group! But increasingly, I feel driven and distracted by them, and I know I waste time using them --- time I can put to better uses. I want balance in my life and becoming too dependent on technology disrupts that balance. I'm looking forward to this challenge. Since my chosen day is almost a week away, I'm going to warm-up by using my gadgets less each day.

A few weeks ago we had a challenge to spend 15 minutes a day doing something you enjoy or something that's important to you. There was lots of positive feedback on that challenge. You found many creative and enjoyable ways to spend those 15 minutes. This week's challenge has the same end goal as that challenge: to free up and reclaim part of your day that can be put to other uses. I'm looking forward to hearing how you spend this new found time.

This Week's Challenge: Take a break from your phone, computers, and other devices this week and rediscover the pleasures of being offline and fully engaged in other activities. Choose a time interval that is challenging, but doable for you.

Wednesday Check-in: Look for the updates post this Wednesday. Please post any frustrations, suggestions, or questions you may have for our group. We can all learn from each other!


Make it a great week!

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Suggested Resources:

6 Ways to Succesfully Unplug (Yes, from Your Smart Phone, Computer and TV) for Just One Day:
http://www.organicauthority.com/6-ways-to-succesfully-unplug-yes-from-your-smart-phone-computer-and-tv-for-just-one-day/

TED Talk: Why Our Screens Make Us Less Happy:
https://www.ted.com/talks/adam_alter_why_our_screens_make_us_less_happy

Journalism students at the University of Maryland give up all media for 24 hours and make some surprising discoveries:
https://withoutmedia.wordpress.com/study-conclusions/benefits

Why Everyone Should Unplug More Often:
https://greatist.com/happiness/unplugging-social-media-email

You dont need to give up your smartphone; you just need to change how you use it:
http://lifehacker.com/5979449/you-dont-need-to-give-up-your-smartphone-you-just-need-to-change-how-you-use-it

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Replies

  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    12ghfpsxlq4o.jpg
  • deadiebear_82
    deadiebear_82 Posts: 8 Member
    This sounds fantastic!
  • prgirl39mfp
    prgirl39mfp Posts: 3,154 Member
    I am taking a break from FB and Instagram and timing myself when I am here and on my email. I am so looking forward to it.
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 8,514 Member
    Okay, I have to say that I'm a bit embarrassed to admit this. When I mentioned to my daughter that the challenge for the week was to unplug, she immediately suggested, "What about at dinnertime." :blush: I guess it is obvious to my family that I'm on my device too much at mealtimes. So here is my plan for the week. No internet devices during meals, and turn them off an hour before bedtime. I'm actually a bit nervous about how I'll deal with it. Wish me luck.
  • PackerFanInGB
    PackerFanInGB Posts: 3,432 Member
    I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this challenge. At the same time, I'm thinking "Oh boy, how the heck am I going to do this?!" I'll have to think on this and get back to you with my plan! I am looking forward to checking out the references you have for us to view/read. This is really going to be good for me, and I hope it is the beginning of me unplugging at least one day a week! :)
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    I am so proud of you all! This is not an easy challenge to do but there are so many benefits to unplugging and reclaiming some of our time. "How we spend our days is how we spend our lives" has a lot of truth in it.

    The Ted talk is excellent. He talks about the lack of "stopping cues" in social media as a big reason we stay glued to our devices. Well worth watching!

    And I have another resource to suggest. Our decluttering challenge several weeks ago stuck with me and I've found a great resource dedicated to helping people lead simpler, less cluttered, more joyful lives. It's called "No Sidebar" (nosidebar.com) and it has a free weekly newsletter as well as a very active Facebook group. (and yes, the irony of suggesting even more web resources at a time we're working on unplugging doesn't escape me). This article is very much in tune with our challenge this week:

    5 Daily Practices to Help You Create Space:
    https://nosidebar.com/create-space/
  • prgirl39mfp
    prgirl39mfp Posts: 3,154 Member
    This is hard. I am ashamed. :'(
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 8,514 Member
    themedalist wrote: »

    The Ted talk is excellent. He talks about the lack of "stopping cues" in social media as a big reason we stay glued to our devices. Well worth watching!

    I agree about the stopping cues! That really hit me. I have noticed that when reading books on my Kindle (which I love using), I miss the feeling of moving through the book, and chapter breaks seem to get lost.

    Monday done. I made it through one day of unplugging at meals, and I found that I even did some sewing after dinner instead of flying to my device. So score for one day.
  • Globug762
    Globug762 Posts: 1 Member
    Perfect challenge! I've been thinking about doing this for some time now.
  • prgirl39mfp
    prgirl39mfp Posts: 3,154 Member
    Thanks @themedalist. I do so much on social media. Yesterday I read an actual magazine for the very first time. It was nice. I noticed that magazines are getting thinner and thinner every time. Just need to have something else to do besides eating and exercising. LOL!
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    prgirl39mfp wrote: »
    Thanks @themedalist. I do so much on social media. Yesterday I read an actual magazine for the very first time. It was nice. I noticed that magazines are getting thinner and thinner every time. Just need to have something else to do besides eating and exercising. LOL!

    I noticed the same thing about magazines the other day as I waited in my physical therapist's office. I didn't want to start using my phone, so I grabbed a magazine. They have gotten thinner.

    The TED talk researcher mentioned that some uses of technology tend to make us happier than others. That social media like Twitter and Facebook tend to make people more unhappy, while health apps like MFP seem to have a more positive effect. That mirrors my own experience. I don't want to give them up entirely, but I'm going to set a timer for 15 minutes when I start using Twitter and Facebook. @prgirl39mfp, I think you had suggested using a timer?

  • prgirl39mfp
    prgirl39mfp Posts: 3,154 Member
    @prgirl39mfp, I think you had suggested using a timer?

    Yes I did. It does help. I recently joined Instagram and I have to say I love it, more than FB. I do spend a lot of time there. FB does have that negative effect sometimes. I managed to only have in my news feed things that make me happy, pages that post positive and exciting things, travel pages. etc. I unfollow people and I go to their profiles only when I feel like it. Trust me it make my life easier. haha
  • prgirl39mfp
    prgirl39mfp Posts: 3,154 Member
    hahaha I have a game too: Hay Day. I am obsessed with it. hahahha
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    I think you all are doing great! This is hard. Games, apps, websites are structured so that we will keep using them.

    Kudos to you @lkellandmay, for reigning in the TV. None of us will get to the end of our lives thinking, "I just wish I had watched more TV."
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    @texasgardnr, my husband and I also just finished watching Downton Abbey. Loved it! But now we are pretty down that we watched the last episode.... it was a terrific series and the scenery is gorgeous. We are now starting to watch Endeavor but it's too soon to know if it will stick.

    My unplugging day is also tomorrow. I've already lined up some activities. Reading a real book or magazine while I walk on my treadmill instead on my Kindle. Making pesto. A long guitar practice session without my trusty guitar app that holds all my songs and chords. We have a family get together tomorrow so that will be most of the afternoon.

    Still, I know I'll get antsy.

    Also, Sunday is typically the day I research and write our weekly challenges. So I wrote it today. But I also post it Sunday evening and since I can't do that tomorrow, I'll post it the first thing Monday morning.

    I listened to an interesting TED talk today that will likely be the subject of a future challenge. In it, the speaker mentioned that the average Facebook user spends 2 years of their life on Facebook!. TWO YEARS!

    And there was this nugget:

    "The only people who call their customers "users" are drug dealers and technologists".

    I think it's a good thing that we unplugged a little this week!
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 8,514 Member
    I'm about to log off until this time tomorrow. Wish me luck! @texasgardnr , reading Pride and Prejudice sounds like a great plan!
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    77tes wrote: »
    I'm about to log off until this time tomorrow. Wish me luck! @texasgardnr , reading Pride and Prejudice sounds like a great plan!

    Good luck, @77tes! You can do it!

  • nebslp
    nebslp Posts: 1,667 Member
    You are all so inspiring! In fact, I'm taking your lead and will unplug until 6 PM tomorrow night. I wonder how much I will get accomplished. I should get some sewing and a good workout in and maybe the grandkids will come out for awhile, so it will be a good day. I really have trouble envisioning it though!! I might enjoy missing the Sunday morning news shows.
    BTW, Downton Abbey has got to be my all time favorite series and the first one I watched when my daughter gave me an Amazon Firestick for Christmas. It was hard to see it come to an end. You're all doing great with a difficult challenge!
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 8,514 Member
    I got it done. Yay! :) It was a very quiet day which made it a bit difficult, but I just didn't even open my computer or take out my device. My sister loaned me a copy of Threads magazine and I enjoyed that. I'm re-reading the Harry Potter books, but I'm in the first one which isn't as compelling as the later books. I would have started Pride and Prejudice as @texasgardnr suggested, but my husband had lain down for a nap, and I didn't want to wake him getting my book off the shelf. I should have planned to have a couple books out at the beginning of the day.

    I loved Downton Abbey, too.

    I'm glad I planned on checking my email Sunday because I did have an email from a student worried that she wasn't enrolled in my class.
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    77tes wrote: »
    I got it done. Yay! :) It was a very quiet day which made it a bit difficult, but I just didn't even open my computer or take out my device. My sister loaned me a copy of Threads magazine and I enjoyed that. I'm re-reading the Harry Potter books, but I'm in the first one which isn't as compelling as the later books. I would have started Pride and Prejudice as @texasgardnr suggested, but my husband had lain down for a nap, and I didn't want to wake him getting my book off the shelf. I should have planned to have a couple books out at the beginning of the day.

    I loved Downton Abbey, too.

    I'm glad I planned on checking my email Sunday because I did have an email from a student worried that she wasn't enrolled in my class.

    Well done, @77tes! Sounds like you had a pretty great day!

  • PackerFanInGB
    PackerFanInGB Posts: 3,432 Member
    My plan had been to unplug on Sunday but I managed to catch an upper respiratory infection from my granddaughter so was down in bed all day watching either TV or Netflix movies. So that was a big fail. My eyes are just too sore to read. I'm at home sick from work today also, which is terrible, because I had a class of 10 new physicians to teach today at our clinic. :(

    I really think this challenge is so important and since I have been thinking about finding ways to unplug more anyway, I think what I will do is extend this to next Saturday. I will make an exception for MFP logging because I don't want to break my streak of journaling my food, but I will hop on and off only for food journaling and not go on FB, Twitter, Pinterest or text anyone that day. Actually I will probably turn my cell phone off and anyone who needs to call can ring the house phone.

    I wish I could have Sundays be my unplugged day every single week, but I usually have to get ready for Monday's classes on Sunday night and end up logging onto my work laptop. Maybe I will have to rethink how or when I do that... :(

    This is a challenge that I really want to make into a lifestyle change. I think as a whole I am happier when I am present in life rather than comparing my life to other people's lives on Facebook! B)

  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    OConnell5483 wrote: »
    My plan had been to unplug on Sunday but I managed to catch an upper respiratory infection from my granddaughter so was down in bed all day watching either TV or Netflix movies. So that was a big fail. My eyes are just too sore to read. I'm at home sick from work today also, which is terrible, because I had a class of 10 new physicians to teach today at our clinic. :(

    I really think this challenge is so important and since I have been thinking about finding ways to unplug more anyway, I think what I will do is extend this to next Saturday. I will make an exception for MFP logging because I don't want to break my streak of journaling my food, but I will hop on and off only for food journaling and not go on FB, Twitter, Pinterest or text anyone that day. Actually I will probably turn my cell phone off and anyone who needs to call can ring the house phone.

    I wish I could have Sundays be my unplugged day every single week, but I usually have to get ready for Monday's classes on Sunday night and end up logging onto my work laptop. Maybe I will have to rethink how or when I do that... :(

    This is a challenge that I really want to make into a lifestyle change. I think as a whole I am happier when I am present in life rather than comparing my life to other people's lives on Facebook! B)

    Sorry to hear that you were feeling under the weather this weekend. That's not what weekends are for! But it's perfectly understandable that it wasn't a good day to unplug.

    All of the challenges are stand alone and you can do them another week that's more convenient for you. As I recall, didn't you do that with one of our other challenges recently?

    I couldn't agree with you more, @OConnell5483. I want unplugging to be a lifestyle change too and that's why I'm carving out a part of my Sundays from here on out to do just that. It might not be the whole day, but I can set aside 6 or 12 hours on Sunday for something that helps me on so many levels. I don't function well if I'm stressed and feeling jittery.

    What I took away from our unplugging week is that I want to "quiet the noise". I don't want to give up the apps and online communities that enrich me.... like this group! Rather, I just want to reign in and quiet the noise. The distractions, the annoyances, and the time wasters that add little value to my life.

    Looking at you, Facebook. You are going on a 15 minute timer.

  • prgirl39mfp
    prgirl39mfp Posts: 3,154 Member
    @OConnell5483 sorry you feel under the weather. Timing myself has worked for me. I put a 5, 10 or 15 minute timer depending on what I need to do. I even do that for housework too. Try it and let us know how it goes. It is hard to unplugged but as @themedalist says we need to "quiet the noise" from time to time. It is so necessary.
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