Hi Stripes & Polka Dot readers! I’m thrilled to be guest posting for Kate while she’s out of town this week. I’m Lauren and I blog over at Seventeenth & Irving about fashion, interior design, and art. I live in San Francisco, where I’m constantly influenced by my amazing city.
I recently got back from vacation at the beach myself, and I challenged myself to think about my vacation a little differently this year. Call it getting older, getting smarter, whatever you like, but this year I really focused on taking time off and recharging my batteries. I’ve had quite a busy year with a full time job and the blog (which I’m sure some of you can relate, is another full time job!) and I wanted to come back from vacation relaxed and rejuvenated.
Have you ever taken a digital break?
I happened to read the quote above before leaving for my vacation. I tried to remember the last time that I really let my guard down to relax and get away from it all. When was the last time I “heard” my surroundings? Sadly, I couldn’t recall. Who had I become?
This vacation, I challenged myself to stay off Twitter, Facebook, blog reading, email checking, and streaming television. Let me tell you, this was no easy task. I was surprised by how hardwired my brain is to want to check these sites upon waking up, in my downtime, and right before I go to bed. I caught myself numerous times getting ready to hit the glowing blue “F” icon on my phone.
But, I persevered. And you know what? It worked. I came back relaxed, breezy, and happy.
If you’ve never taken a digital break, I highly recommend it. Even if it’s just shutting things off for one day. You don’t have to go to the beach. Go on a hike. Take a walk through your neighborhood. Breathe in nature. We live in a world of constant connection yet we’ve never been more disconnected from our surroundings.
Have you ever tried this? How did it make you feel? Were you able to easily do it, or was it harder than you expected?
I know what you're talking about. And almost every vacation I take I completely stop everything, twitter, the blog and facebook. And I just take a break. The stress seems to just melt away sometimes.
I love that quote above. It's really great :)
Nice to meet you Ash! Sadly, this past vacation was the first time I tried it. And I was shocked at how hard it was, but the reward far outweighed the temptation to hop back online. I think it's a mandatory rule from now on!
I did this when I went to Maui, it was wonderful. I posted some photos on Instagram, and occasionally checked my email in downtime to delete store promotions and such so my inbox wouldn't be totally overwhelming when I got home, but other than that, my phone was just a camera. It's harder to unplug than you think it would be, but definitely worth it! Wish I could figure out how to do that when I'm not on vacation. It never hurts to take a break occasionally, but it's just so tempting!
Did you happen to see this article? http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Leelee-Sobieski-Interview-NYC22
That's what inspired me to do it for vacation. I'm wondering if I could manage doing so for at least one Saturday a month as a trial?
Lauren, I love this. Sometimes it is so great to just unplug – it is definitely hard to do, though! I have been trying to stay off my computer in the evenings lately (not tonight, obviously), and have been reading before I go to bed and it has been really good for me. But a day or week off is even better! I love the beautiful Kate Chopin quote and image – so great!!!
I was surprised at how hard it was! Much more difficult than I imagined it would be. I'm going to try and do it at least one Saturday a month and see how that works out.
It's so hard to unplug, and I don't even have a smart phone! Reading this makes me want to have a plan for when I get back to the states.
I hope you had a wonderful vacay! It sounds like you had time to yourself to relax :)
I think the older I get, the more I appreciate being able to unplug for a bit. This was my most relaxing vacation to date, and I think the digital break had a huge hand in that.