Work-Life Balance: Learn to Unplug

We live in a world of technological marvels that would have astounded our ancestors. It’s pretty amazing when you think about. We have access to more information on our phones that the ancients of Alexandria had in their entire library. Videos, news, sports and more are just a click away. We’re connected to our world in more ways than we ever thought possible. 

Of course, there’s an occasional downside. The world is connected to us as well. It used to be that if we were out of the office, we were out of the office. Now we can be reached anytime, anywhere. Sometimes we become so focused on the information available to us we lose touch with the world around us. Take a look around the next time you’re in a public place like a café or a waiting room or even your kid’s soccer game. How many people are actually watching what’s happening around them and how many have their faces buried in their phones?

Sometimes in order to appreciate life, we need to unplug. 

For the next part of our series on work-life balance, try a little experiment, Unplug for a few hours. Put down your phone. Don’t answer your email. Forget about your podcasts, or streaming shows or Skype. At first you might find it a bit empty, but take a look around you. Observe people, nature and your environment. What are people doing? What is the weather like today? What’s going on around you? There might be a construction worker operating a new piece of machinery you never seen before. A red hawk might majestically swoop overhead, or the sun peak out of the clouds leaving a stretch of crimson and purple behind it. If you’re out and about then maybe you’ll notice a new restaurant to try or a corner book store you’ve never noticed.

 You don’t need to do it forever. In fact, you might only be able to stand a few hours of it, but before you plug back in ask yourself what you’ve seen, what you’ve learned and what you may have missed. When you pay attention to things other than your phone or tablet, you’re able to see things you didn’t before. You’re still connected to the world around you, but in a way that you might not have experienced for a while. 

You don’t have to go completely off the grid to appreciate all the other things life has to offer, but it doesn’t hurt sometimes to unplug and unwind. You’ll be pleasantly surprised how relaxed you feel when you step back into the virtual world.