March 6/7th 2020 is #national unplugging day. A day where we are encouraged to untether ourselves from the electronic devices that now take up so much of our time, energy and attention and feel the power of ‘unplugged’.
The idea behind national unplugging day is to remind us that there is life beyond the screen and the continual interruptions of the notification bell. It feels like no coincidence that national unplugging days falls immediately after World Book Day.
What better way to unplug from the world than curling up with a good book?
I was delighted to see that these two days fell simultaneously as I had chosen world book day to launch my first book, a work book designed to help people innovate and create change in their own lives, a gentle guide full of insights, ideas, techniques and illustrations to fire up your imagination and help you remove the obstacles that keep tripping you up.
Maybe the inability to ‘unplug’ yourself from the world is one of those obstacles.
I carried out a small experiment a few years ago, into the power of ‘unplugged’, creating a valuable habit as a result of the benefits experienced.
Every night I switch off the modem that powers my internet. They have an off switch, who knew ?
Then I set my devices to charge in another room, away from where I sleep. If this is not feasible for you, try moving them to the foot of the bed, rather than having them on the bedside table, and remember to switch the mobile data off.
I found that I slept better and was more rested and refreshed when I woke up and this benefit continues to this day.
I bought myself a little digital alarm clock to wake me up and have developed a very different attitude to those notification bells. I’ve also given important people my land line number because, some days, I choose to leave the internet switched off, to minimise distractions and give my creativity space to roam.
If you feel that one of the obstacles that’s holding you back might be the inability to unplug from these constant distractions, give this a try. Yes, it feel a bit uncomfortable at first, but once you get into the habit the feelings of peace and deep sleep soon pay off.
If you’d like to find our more insights and practical tips to help you get where you want to be, check out my new book, which is being launched through a crowd funding campaign, all the details can be found here
Claire Cutler-Casey is a professional Kinesiology Practitioner and Touch For Health instructor as well as delivering a variety of business and well-being workshops designed to help you navigate the process of change.
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