It’s Easier to Move if You’re Unplugged

I understand the irony of this week’s topic. It’s all about media consumption – and more specifically, how limiting media consumption can support our mental and physical health. So here I am, using social media and this email to advocate disconnecting from technology!  

But as is true with so many things in our lives, it’s important that we remain empowered when we use technology and not let it have power over us.

In the case of social media, research has shown that it can have both good and bad effects on us. Among its positive effects, social media enables us to communicate with friends and family anywhere around the world; connect with people who share similar interests; promote issues and causes that are important to us; seek or offer emotional support when needed; and express ourselves creatively. On the negative side, social media can promote feelings of inadequacy when we compare ourselves to others or are exposed to cyberbullying; isolation if we have no other form of social engagement; and self-absorption if we constantly share our thoughts and selfies of our actions so that social media becomes our primary activity.

To remain empowered, the first thing to do is to NOTICE what type of media we use, along with when, where, how, and how often we use it. It’s also important to ensure that we are using media to CONNECT in positive ways, rather than using it to compare ourselves to others. And we should periodically REVIEW the people and things that we follow on media to ensure that we’re focusing on what brings us JOY.

Then, after we’ve made sure that our media usage is providing positive benefits for us, we need to BE INTENTIONAL about it and set HEALTHY BOUNDARIES. If we find ourselves not being mindful and just scrolling or staring at a screen, perhaps it’s time to take a tech break and unplug.

For me, I like to get outside, connect with nature, and take long hikes, often with my pups. Too much screen time makes my whole body tired. When I unplug, I feel more centered and more at peace.

As writer Anne Lamott said, “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” So if you’d like to unplug right now to recharge and reconnect, by all means, do so! Maybe you can take this opportunity to participate in our Move With Courage challenge, which encourages movement of ANY kind, to help all of us improve our physical and mental health.

And after that, when you reconnect, you’ll find that everything is still working, including us … for YOU.