Disconnect to Connect!
Have you stopped and looked around recently when out in public? We are all guilty… eyes glued to our cell phone or iPad device.
As a personal trainer and holistic lifestyle coach, I work with clients every day who privately share the daily challenges they face in life and I am noticing a new trend. One that is not a positive one. We are to connected to our electronics more than the people around us. We are increasingly allowing technology to put up a barrier between ourselves and others and, as a result, we are not experiencing the moment nor being present. Instead we are texting, emailing, or taking pictures instead of being present with who we are with or with what we are doing. We have lost the ability to be still or with quiet mind. I am guilty as well as I constantly feel the draw to check my email, text messages, or Facebook feed.
As I recently completed my CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Level One certification this past week, I have started working to create more quiet time for myself and working from the inside out rather than always working from the outside in. I can’t believe how hard it is for me to clear my mind for only five minutes while working on “Box Breathing” meditation exercises. Today I went for a bike ride with my husband and I discovered how effective outdoor exercise is in clearing my head as well as turning on the creative side (which is when I started writing this blog post in my head). Then I went for a manicure and pedicure by myself. I needed to get some work done so I brought my iPad but I couldn’t get the salon’s wireless to work. I took it as a sign that my work can wait and that this was a perfect opportunity to be present to the moment – enjoy the massage chair, foot massage and hand massage. I closed my eyes and unplugged but as soon as my appointment was over, I had this strong desire to reach for my cell phone and check on what was going on. Next time I am going to resist this temptation to check in when I should be checking out.
Next week I am traveling out of the country for two weeks. My goal is to get all my work organized so I can truly unplug and check out for two weeks. I don’t want to be one of the many people on Facebook posting pictures during every amazing memorable moment or at each amazing meal.
Here are some tips on how to disconnect from technology so you can connect to the moment:
- Take pictures during your adventures but share them at the end of the day or, better yet, end of the trip.
- When traveling on vacations, forward your emails or set-up auto responses so you don’t need to constantly monitor email.
- Go walking, running or hiking without reading your messages… listen to nature or listen to enjoyable music
Join me in taking a new challenge of disconnecting one day a week and to decrease time each day on emails, texting and social media. We can do it… remember what we did before cell phones, emails and social media were created!
Debbie Potts
Fitness Forward Studio
Personal Training & Coaching
CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach Lv1
Metabolic Efficiency Training Specialist
118 105th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004
(425) 466-3653