With people checking their devices, on average, every 6 and a half minutes and 84% of mobile phone users claiming they could not go for a single day without it, National Unplugging Day has become a day we all need to embrace!
Although the event encourages a total amnesty on digital for a day, we know technology plays a huge role in our lives and we cannot turn off indefinitely. However there are many tips we can follow to allow us to unplug a little each day for our benefit…
Take a holiday or go for a walk
There are hundreds of beautiful places to explore around the UK in land or by the sea. Check out the National Trust for inspiration – or go for a back to nature holiday? Unplug, unwind and switch off from daily technical pressures.
The amour is no-more
Taking technology into the bedroom could be putting the kibosh on our love lives according to a study by The National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and technology is very much taking the blame. So, leave the iPad at the bedroom door as there is no joy in spooning the iPad!
Dinner time technology free zone
Are dinnertimes conversations-less as the family constantly check phones and tablets for messages or does your partner pick up and check out mid conversation to see the latest Twitter posts? Then invest in a swear-box solely for those who misdemeanour during breakfast, lunch or dinner. Every time the phone is lifted the pot wins another few quid. You could use the savings to pay for a night out and go gadget-free if you dare?
Get a hobby
Making time for you away from a screen is important and can be rewarding too – also being creative is said to reduce the stress hormone cortisol to boot! Whether it is picking up an old hobby or trying something new and challenging yourself there are hundreds of classes and opportunities to take advantage of in your local area. So try painting, or maybe take a dance class; throw a pot and get messy with some clay, try karaoke with friends or read that book you’ve been meaning to pick up for years!
Where am I going to?
OK – so it might sound very alien to ask for directions when we have a veritable encyclopaedia of maps at our fingertips but human interactions are actually quite nice things! Not only do you get to speak to someone but you learn a little about your surroundings. So look up once in a while – there is a lot to see in this world and plenty of people who will be pleased to have helped you get from A to B.
Don’t be ‘board’
Rather than chatting all day and night with your friends on social media, why not mix it up a bit and plan an evening together where you actually see each other? Ask everyone to bring their favourite board game and team this with a few cocktails and snacks for an evening of good ‘old fashioned’ fun! Games like Twister, Pictionary or good old Monopoly are good for indoors fun if the weather isn’t with you – but try giant Snakes and Ladder of Jenga when the weather warms and you can go outside.
Words: Forest Holidays
Images: Propellernet
