Unplugging

Unplugging from the digital world may seem an unnecessary hassle for our digital generation as we have become comfortable in its smothering instant gratification embrace. So, to pry you from your screens I will list some benefits of unplugging every once in a while.

Without a barrage of notifications grabbing your attention every few seconds, you will become more mindful of everything that truly does matter such as face to face relations and your self-worth. Turning off your phone occasionally, allows you to focus on the moment and savour personal experiences. Often your perception of life and what is important is heavily influenced by the hyper curated Instagram posts of experiences and body types that simply are not possible and or important. It is essential to understand what is on that screen is not your peers’ actual reality but what they wish it to be/ have others think it is.

When unplugging you can not only expect your mental wellbeing to improve but also your physical health. The sheer amount of time you spend on your devices usually is done to the detriment of getting up and moving, an hour of mindlessly scrolling through TikTok can immeasurably be better spent going for a walk and taking in natural imagery with physical friends rather than blips on a screen.

Productivity and effective use of time is something as a student I struggle with and I have found detaching from social media and notifications allows me to focus on work and simply get much more done. Many devices now incorporate Zen and or do not disturb modes which can be useful in blocking out distractions.

I think I have covered a good few incentives here which hopefully will entice you the reader to have a break from technology. It truly is not easy to avoid devices, I struggle every day but if we can all be mindful of our usage I think we can all be a little more healthy.

Aaron Davis