In our blog for this week, we will take a look at making true human connections and taking technology breaks which can help reset both the heart (emotions) and mind (mental wellness).  

In our world there is an ever growing dependence, reliance and addiction to technology.  To begin with, technology has done some amazing things in medical advances and life changing and saving procedures, making us aware of the mistreatment of groups of human beings worldwide and connecting friends and family living long distances apart.  But how much technology is enough?  Was 4G so slow that 5G will finally be the answer to all of the world’s problems? 

To connect with one another we need to have our phones down, heads up, eyes clear and ears open!  It’s time to get rid of distractions and be in the moment when we are in community.  What is more important than people?  The calendar can be checked at another time and the email can be sent later, but what we can’t ever get back is this moment we’ve been given.  Each moment and breath we are given is truly a blessing and should not be wasted.

The key to living in our current time and society is to “Get In” and use technology to fill us up in a healthy way that speaks to us and then “Get Out” and interact with people face to face in the real world.  An example for me is being a lover of music and a guitar player.  I’ll use technology to listen to music that lifts me up and speaks to me and grab some sheet music, but then I’ll move on and enjoy and observe what’s going on in the world around me.  

Technology is necessary to complete many tasks today, but what if we set aside a certain amount of uninterrupted time each day to accomplish our online activity: emails, social media connecting, gaming, surfing the web, etc.  You pick the amount of time whether it’s 30 minutes, 1 hour, 90 minutes whatever.  Block off your tech time so you’ve got a handle on what that time looks like so you’re not racking up 5-6 hours a day and not even realizing it.  If you do this you won’t be distracted from what really matters, which is people.

I would like to present a big challenge for you this week, so I’m hoping you are ready to give this a shot and see how it can dramatically change your mental and emotional health.  Are you ready…would you be willing to unplug from technology including emails, social media and surfing the internet?  I put these three as the baseline, because when I first started doing this I completely shut down my phone for 24 hours and there was some slight blowback when a few people needed to reach me about something important.

To make this challenge simpler and limit technology interruptions on your human connections and and your brain rest (yes, your brain needs a break now and then) I suggest you turn off your data and Wi-Fi on your phone along with putting your phone on do not disturb outside of starring the “truly” important contacts and people in your life.  Put your laptop and tablets in a safe place where they will not tempt you. The 24 continuous hours you choose is up to you based on your work and life schedule.  I’m going to warn you in advance that this process is going to make you feel uncomfortable, maybe a little anxious and even possibly feel like an itch you can’t scratch.

I promise if you commit to this 24-hour reboot of your mind, you will feel lighter and freer than you have felt in years along with lifting the brain fog and connecting more effectively with the people you care most about in the world.  You’ll need to play around with the 24-hour window which works best for you, but I chose 12 pm Saturday to 12 pm Sunday after a few weeks of trial and error.  I see if anything needs attention when I get up on Saturday morning and then it’s time for me to find healing and rediscover peace.  How do you fill this new gift of time?  You fill it with people and passions!  Who do you love to spend time and connect with and what activities, pursuits and passions bring you joy?!  I fill my 24-hour window spending time with family and friends, hiking, playing guitar and reading among many other things.

If you’ve tried everything for a mental/emotional reboot and you still feel scattered, lost or empty, what do you have to lose?  Commit to this individually or even better for accountability; recruit your whole family, a group of friends, or co-workers to go on this 24-hour journey.  We want nothing more than for our members, our staff and community to experience a complete picture of health and wellness while living life to the fullest in true human connection.  I look forward to hearing from you about this process and the results you experienced from a “brain reset”!  You can do this!

#ForABetterTomorrow

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