The Science Of Unplugging

What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? - Mary Oliver

Every month for this 12 Months of Digital Wellness series, I have been living what I’m writing about in real-time. And not intentionally. Truly, it is so particular how it’s unfolding this way. I am on this journey as I’m sharing it with you.

This month, when the kid's Summer break started we went camping a few times, and one of those times was a 5-day digital detox. I heard there would be no cell service where we were going so I went ahead and sent my “out of the office” texts. But I honestly wasn’t sure and wasn’t fully prepared. We were listening to Spotify as we drove down to the camping spot. When the song abruptly stopped, we realized we had lost signal. Boy was it a deafening silence. We were without a signal for the next five days. Our oldest even tried to hike out to a high enough elevation to get a signal on the first day. “Sorry, son!”

By day two, being apart from our phones, laptops, TV, Netflix, podcasts, and yes, music was like taking a deep breath for the first time in a while. I even currently have my phone set up to help me digitally minimize my day, but this was a true break. Going off the grid. On top of that, we were submerged deep into nature. We were surrounded by the sound of a rolling river while we slept, crackling fire while we ate, and the voices of friends and deep words spurring conversations throughout the week.
 

By deep breath, I’m talking a long slow inhale - exhale yoga breath!

I’m learning the importance of incorporating a practice into my life more regularly, and I don’t have to get away to do it. It’s the practice of Unplugging - disconnecting from technology all together for a period.

unplug : 
- to remove what is blocking something

- to take the plug of a piece of electrical equipment out of the place where it is connected to the electricity supply

Am I the supply? 

A study in the International Journal of Health & Addiction identifies increased use of technology as one of the big threats to mental health for adults.  The benefits of unplugging are very clear as well as being extensive. It’s science. Being excessively connected to our devices negatively impacts our mental and physical states, affecting our relationships as well as our work or school performance.

Taking a simple break from my device allows a reset for my body, mind and spirit.  However, we all know it’s anything but simple to step away from our devices for a short time. The tech industry is causing our brains to reject that science and justify just why we can’t spend intentional time off.  
 

Let's talk about the science.

When our phone is present we are neurologically attached to it and everything our brain has been wired to value that is on the other end of that screen.  We also know notifications from our phones trigger our fight-or-flight response. This is an instinctive physiological response of survival that all humans experience when faced with a threat.  It doesn't matter if you are facing physical danger or a pressing email from work, in a moment of stress your body works the same way. The body's sympathetic nervous system kicks into action and hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol are released into the body. (Adrenaline is the specific hormone gaming apps and top tech labs target for us to come back for more.)  Not only will this hormone dump leave us feeling on edge, but continually elevated cortisol levels are linked directly to depression, high blood pressure, obesity, and many more negative health issues. That's why they say - Stress will kill you.  Even though neurologically and physiologically all this is happening in our bodies while on our phones we are mostly unaware of these stressors.  Unless we take time away we will not have a chance to recognize this body response or do anything about it. 

Many studies related to cyberpsychology are showing this correlation between having time away from our devices and increased quality of life. What causes this increased quality of life?  The participants in the studies had “more time” to themselves, to be present and rest internally instead of numbing out on or being overstimulated by devices. They also were less distracted and therefore had “more time” to spend on activities that were important to them and with people who were valuable to them.

 Journal of Travel Research found that people who digitally disconnected during travels felt they experienced better, richer relationships with other people and the world around them.

How many times do we say, “I don’t have time to cook, to read a book, to play, to workout, to walk the dog, to paint, to throw the football.” These are all examples from my own house, FYI!  In short, unplugging can force us to be more creative with how we spend our time and in turn make our time QUALITY. Next month we're going to look at our relationship with our phone and what we can do to set up a more digital minimalist phone. I'm excited to share these decluttering action steps with you!

Every time I speak about digital wellness this caveat is important to mention, so I’ll say it here, too. Of course, there is a time to binge that amazing new series on Netflix with friends, family, or by yourself. There is a time to swipe through fun videos and recipes, hammer out your texts and emails, share that important moment or message on social, listen to that Best of 90’s playlist on Spotify, and catch up on your favorite podcast series and…and…and…
 

Our devices enhance our lives, no doubt about it. 

But I hope you also see that our human bodies, minds, and spirits are starving for what they need regularly: 

Silence. Stillness. A necessary break.

It’s an invitation.

-Dawn Wible

Find resources for healthy digital habits at talkmoretechless.com

sources: center for humane technology, digital wellness institute, pew research center, dictionary, Marissa Higgins, childrensscreentimeactionnetwork Photo: Amy Easley, Stillwater Refuge

Build a Life. Not a Brand. Pt. 2 ~ 12 Months of Digital Wellness - January

If you haven't yet, I suggest you go back and read Part 1 from our last email, or scroll down to the bottom of this email for a quick recap to see how we're exploring this topic.

How do you know if you are building a life or a brand? 

Using research-based points for digital flourishing we are going to do some gentle self-observations and allow ourselves to be open.  I do these check-ins for myself and I am still learning, growing, and releasing new places.  You're not self-condemning, you're just exploring motivations for your own well-being. It's okay, it's important, and it's good. 

Here we go

Your mind  ✓ When building a life, you're living from a quiet mind that is firmly rooted in who you are, and your belonging.  Everything online and off flows from that security.  When building a brand, you're living from a place of needing affirmation and engagement to bring self-fulfillment. The former allows you to not be too strongly affected by the content you put out and the content you consume. You don't "need" it.  "30% of 18-44 year olds feel anxious if they haven’t checked their social media in the last 2 hours." -Center for Humane Technology, Sept.2020
 

Your People  ✓ When building a life and not a brand you care more about those in your everyday life than you do about gaining likes on your followers list. This can even be applied online with close friends.  "Well-being has been extensively associated with social bonds. When we use social media as a tool to deepen our strong-tie relationships (i.e. those with close friends and family rather than acquaintances or weak-tie relationships), our well-being increases. When we use it to consume content or compare ourselves to others, well-being decreases. - Digital Communication Media Use and Psychological Well-Being, Oxford, Oct.2019
 

Your Time ✓When building a life and not a brand you carve out and value time offline. Unplugging, stepping away from the screen, and pouring into yourself and others are imperative for your health. This is getting more and more important as relationships, work, and school are all on screens.  The U.S. was found to have a 215% increase in time spent on mobile devices last year. - Nielsen, 2020  "One month away from social media leads to a significant improvement in emotional well-being, including a reduction in loneliness and an increase in happiness, as well as a significant reduction in political polarization."-aea journal, March 2020
 

Your Moments ✓ When building a life and not a brand you live in the moment rather than focusing on building the moment for your social media platform.

Live the moment, then share; don't live the moment to share. 

Becoming aware of this is important. We have all experienced it due to what the platform has done to our brains.  "People who took photos to share on social media experienced less enjoyment and less engagement with the scene compared to those who took photos purely for their own pleasure. Closer analysis indicates that taking photos to share on social media increases a user's focus on their own self-identity and self-presentation, distracting them from connecting to the world around them."  
"The mere presence of a mobile phone can disrupt the connection between two people, leading to reduced feelings of empathy, trust, and a sense of closeness." -  Peer-reviewed research, DWI Digital Wellness Institute, Center for Humane Technology
 

Your Character ✓ When building a life and not a brand you care more about your own integrous heart, humility, speech & actions, than you do about winning an argument on all the FB comments.  What your kids believe about your character matters more than any influencer or follower online, and your kids are watching you.  Don't simply get lured by trends, but stand up for your beliefs with authenticity in all areas of life. "Each word of moral outrage added to a tweet increases the rate of retweets by 17%. It takes very little effort to tip the emotional balance within social media spaces, accelerating further polarization." -PNAS, July 2017

When we spend the time to evaluate these vulnerable places in our own lives and online engagement, then we can have the empathy to see others more clearly as well.  Not simply their "brand", we see them as a life.  We can think deeply about the other person, and their experiences, and not get blinded by the quick judgment we've been conditioned to make.  We begin to listen and work together as complicated human beings, not just polarized opinions or pretty faces. We can step back and see the whole truth, the whole person, and use our tech to promote wisdom, goodness, and justice.

How do you build a life and not a brand?  Focus your energy where it is best spent - Life.  
The rest is the icing on the cake, not the cake itself.


 

Approach your screen as an avenue for authentic connection & a tool for life. This will promote your 
mental & relational well-being.  #techresponsibly

Find resources for healthy digital habits at talkmoretechless.com