Taking Time to Unplug this Holiday Season
This holiday season, we want to put the emphasis on being present with family, friends, and loved ones. That means it’s a perfect time to unplug—taking a step away from the electronics and enjoying some family time without any distractions.
Key Takeaways:
- Learn tips to avoid being bombarded with work and social media notifications on our devices.
- Feel the joy of the season and disconnect devices in order to reconnect with loved ones.
- Discover how unplugging can help ground you and have a positive ripple effect in other areas of your life.
Table of Contents:
- Detox from Electronics this Holiday
- Take a Break from Work Emails
- Make a Social Media Announcement
- Put Your Phone in Another Room While You Sleep
- Adjust Notification Settings
Detox from Electronics this Holiday
Every day we are bombarded with messages, notifications, social media, and news updates on all of our devices, from our smartphones to our laptops and tablets, even our watches. It may seem like there is no way to detach, but an electronic detox can do wonders for our brains and our connections with others.
The holiday season is a time to relax, spend time with your family, and disconnect from the online space as much as possible. If you struggle to implement a plan for unplugging, check out our tips for how to unplug and enjoy the most wonderful time of the year with minimal distractions.
Take a Break from Work Emails
We’re all guilty of it – checking work emails and messages during your time off. It can create stress or be a distraction weighing on you if you think there’s something you’ve missed and want to be in the loop about even during off-hours. The holidays, however, are a time to spend with your family and cherish the new memories you are creating. Turn off your work devices and any notifications, and just know that everything can wait until you return. Send an email or message to your co-workers or team if you have to and let them know when you’ll be available again. That will make you more likely to stick to not checking any messages during holiday time. Chances are that your boss, employees, and everyone else will be just as busy enjoying their time off!
Make a Social Media Announcement
It can be difficult turning away from social media and the constant updates. We all use it as a source of entertainment even if we aren’t looking for updates on family and friends, but try to connect with your loved ones in a way that doesn’t include social media. You might even find yourself wanting to upload a great family photo you took in a picturesque autumn setting. But you might find yourself checking notifications too often if you make any posts and you don’t want it to interfere with connecting with those who are with you in real time. Try holding off on any social media activity and wait until there’s some down time. Write up a quick announcement to your social media friends letting them know you really won’t be too active on social until after the holidays. This will let them know that you need some family time – and you might even encourage them to take a break as well.
Put Your Phone in Another Room While You Sleep
Even if this doesn’t directly affect time with loved ones and connections, it can encourage you to detach from your phone more and make it easier not to care about looking at it so often during other times. You may find you get more restful sleep if you aren’t scrolling on your phone before bed, and especially if notifications ever wake you up. If you use your phone as an alarm clock, try getting a simple alarm clock to put on your nightstand instead and do a true detox of phones in the bedroom. This may energize you for the following day!
Adjust Notification Settings
It’s hard enough trying not to send a work-related email or uploading photos to social media but it’s even harder to detach from electronics when you’re constantly flooded with notifications whether you want to clear them or check them, they are still drawing your attention to your phone. Try turning as many notifications off from different apps, email, and texts as you can. This will help you not feel obligated to check your phone so much if your attention isn’t being constantly drawn to it!
Remember, disconnecting once in a while is important. It can help you to feel centered and calmer while also strengthening your connections in real time. Take advantage of the time you get to spend with your family and friends this holiday season, distraction free. Disconnect to reconnect!
