The notion of “unplugging” and “slowing down” is hard to process in our heavily connected, technologically reliant society – sometimes it even feels impossible. As a college student it’s hard to turn off my laptop and disconnect for a while, there’s always work that needs to be done! Unplugging is a hard concept to wrap your head around because there’s this irrational fear that we’ll miss out on something.

Technology, social media more exactly, has consumed younger generations – it’s even digging its claws into older generations. I have had these revelations many times. I know my life is run by technology, I’m a slave to social media. It’s hard for me to unplug – if it has a screen I’m addicted to it. The first thing I do in the morning is check my phone, the last thing I do in the evening before bed is check my phone.

As wonderful as technology is, it can be extremely beneficial to disconnect every once in a while. There are so many reasons to disconnect – it's not really surprising that there’s a ton of reasons that deal with your physical and mental health. The following chart does an awesome job at breaking down how technology affects our physical and mental health as well as giving suggestions on how to unplug.

Info-graph courtesy of WhoIsHostingThis.com

In summary, some reasons to unplug include; distressing, reducing Internet addiction and increasing your mental health, avoiding sleep disturbances, and increase your sex life. Some ways unplugging helps your health; more “you” time, less muscle pain (eyes, back hands), and overall improved mood.

This ahh-mazing chart also includes some really helpful tips that help you to unplug. Some good tips are avoiding checking your phone immediately after waking up and before you go to sleep, set an allotted time for checking social media, turn off notifications, go easy on yourself – its hard to disconnect.

These things can lead you to living a better, healthier life. I’ll admit I struggle with unplugging myself; it’s not easy by any means. So how do you do it? There’s many websites and articles out there giving suggestions on how to go about unplugging. Personally I just went on Pinterest and searched “unplugged”. I found a lot of different advice, but it’s up to you to pick and choose your methods. No matter how you choose to go about unplugging, the benefits are the same.

You learn how to relax and distress. You can focus on yourself instead of worrying about what others are up to. Disconnecting helps you to form stronger, healthier bonds in your “real” relationships. Your sleep cycle can return to a more natural rhythm – so you’ll get a better, more restful sleep. Overall you’ll feel more content with your life and your mood should improve.

I’m only just embarking on this journey of unplugging myself. It’s only been a few weeks and it has been a slow process, but I can already see the positives of disconnecting. I have rediscovered some old passions, remembering what it’s like to experience life in the moment rather than through a lens, as well as feeling an overall improvement of my mood.

I’d love to hear you’re thoughts, experiences, etc. on unplugging!