UnPlug for Fun and Profit!
It’s National Unplugging Day! When I found out about it, I immediately thought of something funny about which I remind my wife, Priscilla, from time to time. “If I ever get sick and go into the hospital, and they hook me up to a machine, and then I die, be sure you unplug the machine, plug it back in, and see if I re-boot!”
Well, kidding aside, sometimes it will help you a ton to unplug from your cell phone, your computer, your iPad, social media, your email, and maybe even your office.
Relax, have intimate conversations with your significant other and other family members who live with you, go out and do something fun, watch a good movie, listen to music, play a game, take a nap, take your dog for a walk. Whatever you do for fun and relaxation, do it and give it your full focus and attention.
When you first do this, you’ll experience some discomfort at first. You may be antsy and feel compelled to just take a quick look at your phone. Don’t do it! Turn that sucker off and leave it off!! And the antsy-ness will give way to peacefulness before very long.
Thoughts will go through your mind like What if one of my clients needs me and is trying to get hold of me? What if I miss an important email? What if someone tags me on Facebook? The answer to that is that it’s highly unlikely that anyone will have something so important to communicate to you that it won’t wait while you take care of yourself. My parents used to travel a lot internationally while they were alive, and they always told us kids, “If anyone has a problem or dies while we’re gone, don’t tell us! We’ll deal with whatever it is when we get home!” I was blessed with wise parents!
When you plug back in, you’ll find yourself more rested, more peaceful, more energized, and more able to cope with all the junk that’s coming at you online every moment of every day!
So, unplug on National Unplugging Day and on a regular basis…at least weekly… and take good care of yourself. Unlike my unrealistic medical re-booting idea, all that online stuff will still be there when you plug back in!