Though it hasn’t been long since I’ve started blogging at this WordPress address, I’ve decided to do something a bit drastic with my online presence for the next 30 days – unplug, deactivate, detox, walk away.
This is something I’ve been wanting to do for several weeks now, and as we’re in the peak of a beautiful summer here in Portland, I think this is a perfect time to do it. In the weeks I’ve been plotting to do this, I’ve been inspired by a few reads, namely: this article on leaving the internet for 25 days, this series on unplugging, and Zenhabits’ Year of Living Without.
I’m the type of person (as I suspect many of us are) that goes to bed with her iPhone on the night stand. I am also the type of person that can easily waste 30-40 minutes before I even get out of bed in the morning scrolling through my numerous social media sites. I check my phone far too frequently during the day, and find myself bombarded with notifications for every spam email and facebook comment I receive throughout the day. Recently, I’ve started to notice how often my partner and I come home from an evening out with friends and go straight to our laptops or smartphones, instead of taking time to connect with one another.
Is my choice in walking away from social media over the next 30 days extreme? Maybe. I know that at the end of this time, I’ll be back online. However, what I’m hoping this allows me to do is focus on more important things while I’m away, and take a better inventory of what pieces of the internet are actually important to me and something I want to keep in my life.
Here’s my plan for the next month:
1. Deactivate my facebook and twitter accounts.
2. Use the Stayfocusd plug-in to block all of the other social media sites I frequent (instagram, pinterest, tumblr – and yes, even wordpress). I’ll also be blocking all of the blogs I read on a regular basis (and avoiding any others altogether).
3. Delete all of the social media apps I currently have on my phone.
4. Shut off the phone notifications for my email.
I will still be using my email, and I suspect I’ll still be on the internet on a nearly daily basis, as my work often requires me to be online and available. What it doesn’t require is my near-constant connection.
I know that this will be hard at first, and I’ll probably go through my own little weird withdrawals. However, here are some things I’m planning on doing with my extra time:
1. Writing. I want to start using my journal more often, and I’d like to start drafting future content for this blog. Blogging is something I’ve been wanting to do on a regular basis and have always had difficulty keeping up with, so I’m hoping to use some of my time to make a plan of action for how I can do that.
2. Exercising. For the most part, this is something I’m already doing. I’m going into week 7 of training for my first marathon, and as my training runs get longer, I’ll have even less time to be wasting online. I also would like to work on recommitting myself to my yoga practice.
3. Reconnecting. As I mentioned above, this was partly inspired by the things I’ve noticed recently in my own relationships, and I want to take this time to connect on a deeper level with those around me. If I’m bored, or feeling isolated because I can’t post a picture of my dinner on instagram, I can always meet up with a friend for coffee or a walk.
4. Biking. Different from #2, exercising. I just bought myself a new bike over the weekend, and I’m in love. I plan on breaking it in over the next month!
5. Exploring/adventuring. I live in an amazing city with a number of unique, fun, and happening neighborhoods. I’d love to go explore a new area of the city while I’m unplugging.
6. Taking pictures. I want to take pictures of my surroundings as a way to reconnect with what’s around me – and not as a means to share them with everyone I know. I’m hoping to take at least one picture every day this coming month.
Over the next month, I’ll be taking notes to document my experiences during this “digital detox.” I’ll be sure to report back on it when I return on Tuesday, August 13th! For now, though, I’ll be signing off – wish me luck!
One Fine Day pdx 