Screen Silence
“I did a bunch of smart things today, and one stupid one,” my husband announced one afternoon as I returned from work. Turns out, we overlooked the electric bill and ended up without power. I admit, at first my heart sank. I wasn’t sure what to expect. No lights? No computers? No phones? No stove? Not exactly what I wanted for the weekend, but we decided to rough it for a few days and fully unplug from the grid.
Oddly enough, the experience was…relaxing. The part that sticks most in my mind is the campfire. We fried bread in a skillet with a little butter, then seasoned chunks of stew beef with salt and pepper and skewered them between chunks of onions and green pepper, searing the shish kabobs carefully over the coals as we dodged bursts of flame as juices dripped into the fire.
Until that moment, I didn’t realize how much we’d lost the EXPERIENCE of eating. We’d gotten into a rut of heating up leftovers and eating in front of the television. Sometimes good things slip away gradually, and we hardly notice when they disappear. The eating experience had become just that. Suddenly, cooking over the campfire, we were working together to prepare meals, dining directly under the stars, talking and laughing.
The next evening, I sat by the campfire alone, staring at the wooden spoon in my hand. I’d used the spoon countless times in the kitchen with hardly a second thought. But this was different. As I sat atop a dilapidated bale of hay beside a smoldering pile of coals and gray ash, watching gathering clouds in the evening sky, the wooden spoon stirred dinner, but it also stirred my mind. I noticed sounds and details I’d never seen before. It was magical.
I realized, during that stretch, the creative power of unplugging from phones, computers and television for periods of time. It seems like it should be the opposite. Removing all the inspiring artists and material from under our noses should be like unplugging a lamp from a light socket—an immediate loss of energy, but unplugging for a time triggered creativity. Out of the screen silence came new thoughts. I wanted to write, cook, create, and dream. And I don’t think it was a fluke.
Studies agree. Ruth Ann Atchley et al concluded that “four days of immersion in nature, and the corresponding disconnection from multi-media and technology, increases performance on a creativity, problem-solving task by a full 50% in a group of naive hikers” (Atchley, 2012). The combination of time in nature and unplugging from technology significantly increased creativity.
Technology is everywhere and it certainly has some tremendous benefits, but there are always pros and cons. To improve the quality of our lives we must be mindful about consistently setting aside time to recharge apart from technology.
Reference: Atchley, R. A., Strayer, D. L., & Atchley, P. (2012). Creativity in the wild: Improving creative reasoning through immersion in natural settings. PLoS ONE, 7(12). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0051474.
Challenges/Points:
Unplugging from technology can be unnerving, but it improves the experience of living.
Studies agree that taking breaks from technology improves creativity significantly.
Why not get into the habit of taking time away from technology for a while every day? Designate a spot for your phone when you come into the house, and check it periodically instead of carrying it on your person. Set certain technology-free hours and instead read, walk, talk in person, or work on a creative project.
Questions:
When is the last time you’ve deliberately spent time outside without any technology?
Do you feel like you live life, but don’t fully experience the simple joys?
Do you have a hard time getting the creative juices flowing?
To talk more about this or something else on your mind text the number 494949 to chat with our team or visit RemedyLIVE.com/chat anytime, day or night.
Did someone send you this post, and you want to subscribe to our free self care guide? Text CARE to 494949 to receive daily posts.
