Feel Good Friday – Unplug

Every Friday The Fox teams up with the Canadian Mental Health Association Lambton Kent sharing ways you can take care of yourself and Feel Good.

This week, for Feel Good Friday, we are encouraging people to “unplug and recharge.”

Sounds scary doesn’t it?  But we have to realize the harm it can have on us.

Taking a break to unplug or have a “digital detox” from our devices allows us to take a break from our busy lives and allows us to refresh and recharge. Taking a break from electronics has been show to help improve our mental health by positively impacting our sleep, our relationships with friends and family, helps boost self-esteem, and allows us to connect back to the here-and-now.

The Kids Help Phone offers more information on how to engage in a digital detox and the benefit it can have.  Did you realize the effect it has on us?  Switching off your screens can improve relationships, sleep, eating habits, focus, self-esteem, reduce stress and anxiety and more.

How? Pick a time. Decide how long you’ll stay away from your devices. A day or week? Tell your friends and family and followers you’ll be taking a break. Give them a way to reach you in case of emergency. Plan ahead: it’s a good idea to think ahead to how you’ll keep yourself busy during your digital detox. Here are some ideas:

• spend quality time with family
• hang out with friends
• read a book
• enjoy nature
• pick up a new hobby or sport
• catch up on schoolwork
• write in a journal
• try something creative like singing, dancing or painting
• volunteer your time
• take a nap
• experiment with a new workout routine

When you’re ready to start your digital detox, turn off your devices and put them in a safe place where they’ll be out of sight, out of mind.

Stick with it.  Get support to help you through it.  And if you can’t COMPLETELY log off your devices – there are other things you can do to reduce your reliance on technology.  Limit time per day you spend on your screen, turn off notifications, or reserve your devices for weekend/emergency use only.

Categorised in: Afternoons, Afternoons Fridays

This post was written by Carrie Buchanan