Back in 2009, people started to notice that screens can take up so much of our daily life. And back then, they came up with the idea of the Day Of Unplugging. And now it is more relevant than ever.
Every year this day takes place on the first Friday in March. This year it’s the 6th of March. So unplug from the screens and give yourself 24 hours rehab from technology. Here are some ideas on what to do instead.
Turn It Into Personal Time
It might seem obvious to unplug and use this time for yourself. But it is not as easy as it might sound. Nowadays, when people have technology next to them almost 24/7, it often interrupts any free moment. Do you remember the last time you were waiting for something by yourself (a bus, your friend or order at a restaurant) without checking your phone? People are not really on their own, even when they are alone.
To get comfortable with being with yourself only, you can try meditating. When people hear the word meditating, they tend to imagine monks from Tibet or yoga instructors from Los Angeles. But it’s not the case anymore. Different people try various methods of meditation and find them useful.
For example, delivery lead from Australia, Daragh Byrne, writes: “as a programmer, I think of meditation as a tool to train certain qualities of your mind – in particular, your attention and awareness.“ If you take some time for yourself on Unplugging Day, you can come back to your work with improved attention and awareness.
Turn It Into Team Time
Unplugging day is on Friday, and for most people, it’s still a workday. So you have a great chance to turn it into team day. Being off the screens can help you to bond and strengthen your collaborative work. According to a recent Microsoft study, the amount of time people spend teaming has increased by 50% and takes up approximately 80% of our time on the job. So it’s essential to bond within your team.
Arnas Stuopelis, Chairman of the Board of hosting provider Hostinger, says: “When people work on their own, they see their jobs as tasks. But when people are working with friends, tasks become common goals. Friendships boost the joy of achievement, it raises productivity and increases well-being. So, to strengthen the team, you have to strengthen friendships first. And it’s easier to do it offline rather than online.”
Turn It Into Meaningful Time
Unplugged time spent with your team can have a meaningful impact not only for the team but for others as well. Lilspace suggests to “Unplug for a cause”: From January 30 until March 7, we will be tracking our minutes unplugged (up to 5000) in the lilspace app. Once we reach our goal, State Farm Insurance will donate 10 cents per minute to Textless Live More—a student lead advocacy group to end distracted driving.
Your team can join this movement or think of the social activity of your own. You can go and volunteer in the animal shelter or use this time to bake some cakes and sell them to collect donations for the selected charity. If you get unplugged and spend your time for the sake of others, the impact of this day will stay with you longer.
Turn It Into Playful Time
One more thing to do with your screenless day is to simply have some fun. Before the phones, people would get bored from time to time, and the funniest activities came out of that boredom. But today phones can distract people all the time, there is no space left for boredom, and therefore, people rarely came up with silly games to pass the time. So the first step is to get bored a bit, and then think of something funny to do.
Arnas Stuopelis, from Hostinger, explains: “Sometimes people mock the fact that modern offices have all those playful elements: lounge zones, table tennis, foosball, and other games. But there’s a reason for that: all those games can distract you and give you a break. It gives you a new point of view, and some ideas for your work, even if it seems unrelated at first. So don’t be afraid to get playful at work. It can really improve your performance.”
Turn It Into Family Time
Day of unplugging lasts 24 hours, so it’s not only the workday. Bring this screenless attitude back home. Especially if you have kids. People are often limiting kids’ screen time, and it’s a good thing to do. But there is one essential thing to remember: kids will do what you do, not what you say. So be an example for them.
The New York Times writes: “By practicing what you preach instead of the hypocritical “do as I say not what I do” approach, you emulate the habits you want your children to pick up and show them that there are times for using technology and times when we should be present in the real world.” Use this evening as an example: turn off all of your phones, and play some board games, read some books, or just go out for a walk without any distractions from your phones.
Technologies made life easier. But all those gadgets shouldn’t take over your time. Use this Day of Unplugging as a reminder to get back the control. Unplug your devices and spend some quality time on your own.
- Meditation can be an effective tool to reconnect with yourself.
- You can also use this as an opportunity to build a screenless relationship with your team.
- To bring this teambuilding one step further, you can dedicate your Day Of Unplugging for a social cause.
- With all the serious matters in mind, don’t forget to get playful. Gadgets tend to take our boredom away, but without the boredom, we miss the chance to get playful and funky.
- And keep in mind that the Day Of Unplugging lasts 24 hours, so this is a technology-free day not only at work but back home as well.
For more information:
Ram Kezel, Hostinger PR Coordinator, ram@hostingermedia.com
