Inevitably, the world is becoming more and more digital. It seems everyone is spending a lot of time in front of their screens (computers, tablets, and phones) and not interacting with others around them.
It is important to know how you can ‘disconnect’ from the digital world every once in a while so that you don’t get completely drained and can take your mind off things. Otherwise, it could prevent you from achieving optimal performance levels at work/ university/ home. Luckily, there are many ways to do this. You will discover that it is actually possible to go even further into the depths of meaningful relationships with people around you. Even better, you don’t necessarily need to cut off all digital connections either – it’s perfectly fine to maintain your online presence (and even extend it) if done in the right way!
Here are 4 top tips on how you can achieve this.
Take A Break From All Screens
This is about taking a break from technology altogether for a certain period of time. It is not necessary to completely cut off relationships with others online, just take some time out so that the digital world doesn’t distract you any more than it already does on an average day. Instead, use the time to do things like playing bonding games with those around you. This will enable you to focus more on creating genuine connections and having meaningful interactions in real life and generally help you get your priorities straight if ever there was any confusion! Try going offline for a whole weekend or even better yet, try going somewhere where no one knows you and no one will bother looking for you online – this way, your phone won’t go off every minute either!
Alternatively, if this will be too hard, you could disconnect from the digital world for half an hour after a certain time of night or just before bedtime to reduce your screen exposure and study/ work more productively.
Meet Up With People Offline
If you are craving human contact or just want to catch up with others or be physically active, consider organizing meetups with your friends. This will help you get out of the house and socialize better than ever! For instance, if you really could do with getting away from everything but can’t afford it financially/ there’s no one around who can keep you company, use this time to go through every single digital connection (a.k.a your “friends”) that you have online and choose which ones would be most suitable for what you’re after. There could always be someone who is free, near where you live or work, or is interested in the same things as you are.
Fun meetup ideas include:
- Go on an adventure into the forest or to a new city/ town with others who are just as interested in exploring! If it’s winter, why not try ice skating?
- Set aside half the day to cook hearty meals outdoors with your friends.
- Get together with others who enjoy reading and do it like they do in cafes! Bring along some food and beverages (coffee recommended) or bake some tasty treats ahead of time (cookies are always popular). Another idea is sharing funny book memories one after another followed by interesting snippets from the book you’ve been reading.
- Have a sports day by playing lots of different games including football, volleyball, basketball and so on!
Just remember not to use your digital connections as an excuse for not meeting people in real life.
Hold Conversations Offline
As opposed to just scrolling through profiles and engaging with others only online, take the time to really learn more about those around you. Try focusing on asking open-ended questions that encourage deeper conversations for instance by starting them off with “what makes you say that?” If you’re not used to having meaningful conversations with others, try writing down how the conversation went afterward so as to pick up on things that could have been done better next time! You can then follow up with that person again another day or invite everyone out for drinks one evening after class/ work.
Go To Therapy
Sometimes a failure to connect online could be highlighting deeper issues in your life. You might need to talk through what’s really bothering you or perhaps there are things about yourself that you would like to change, such as an addiction.
Talking to someone who is neutral and non-judgmental can help you figure these things out while also exploring ways for how to become more fulfilled in everyday life!
Also, if you’re feeling lonely or just want to talk about the challenges of living with this generation’s unprecedented access to gadgets, consider seeing a therapist.
Remember that the internet is amazing as it allows millions of people from across the world to connect with each other. But like anything else, there are some bad aspects too which you should be aware of. If you feel like your relationship with technology or others has become unhealthy because of all this exposure, please take a second to think about how best to go back to enjoying yourself outside and inside the digital world!
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Whether she is researching the latest trends in home decor, life-changing destination getaways, or the best way to maintain your finances, Dewey takes pride in leaving no stone unturned. She is passionate about distilling and delivering high-quality information that you can use to upgrade your life.
