From January 2nd to January 9th, I will not be using the computer, watching TV or movies, or reading books.
The new Kindle will be put away (sob). That contraption is my morning Mormon coffee.
No checking facebook while I’m brushing my teeth. No revising my syllabus at 3 am.
At first I thought doing away with books was a little extreme, but I realized if I don’t ban books (!) as well, I’d be reading the entire week. That is hardly unplugging. For this last week before the new semester of H-E-double toothpicks starts (I do like some of it though) I’m trying to let go.
Nothing to latch on to.
Many people (myself included) spend a lot of time distracting themselves, whether from more important things like their marriage or family, or just from the present moment.
What do you do to unplug from your distractions?
Wheat & Tares 
What a great reminder Adam! I wish I unplugged a little more often. For me, unplugging can sometimes be as simple as deciding to read instead of watch TV. Reading is more relaxing for me, whereas TV is high stress.
I also try to listen to calming music and meditate, or otherwise let the music carry me away.
Wait, you aren’t using a computer between the 2nd and 9th but posted this on the 5th? I’m assuming it was scheduled and you fought the urge to double check it before just before it went out. š
I’ve always thought that any activity could be considered a “distraction” in the sense that it prevents you from doing something else (e.g.: cooking dinner distracts me from watching the new episode of Glee). After that it’s just a matter of prioritization and seeing (depressing though it is to admit) how different my aspirational priorities are from my lived priorities. Sigh…
Wow, how can you have a post published and not check to see who has commented on it? I’m impressed.
I’m not very good at unplugging from my distractions. I try to just make sure I’m spending time with the kids, doing some sort of house cleaning every day, reading a little, and making food for everyone. I figure as long as those things are getting done, I’m not overly distracted.
Wow! That’s a great effort. I am seriously bad at any efforts to unplug. More so since I got my iPad.
I read (on my iPad..)which is my first choice of relaxation. I do puzzles (sudoku, crosswords)to disengage my brain from work or other stressors. And lately we’ve been doing jigsaw puzzles. But I can’t say that reduces my stress levels at all! š
Going on walks is the best way for me to unplug.
Alice,
Hawkgrrrl didn’t like how every comment approved notifies her email (since she is the Queen of W&T, so to speak), so we actually disabled comment notification for authors (grumble grumble). Adam really has no temptation, as long as he can keep away from a monitor!
I wouldn’t know anything about unplugging, though. haha.
Andrew- I wasn’t thinking anything nearly that technical. hahaha..
If I were him, it would be really hard to not get online here just to see what everyone is saying on my post.
Haha, I guess I expose my bloggy loneliness.
Without a notification, I’d never think I had any comments at all.
Sometimes one if forced to unplug. The week before Christmas, we went to California. The condo we were staying at had not free internet, and I refused to pay. It’s the first vacation I’ve had in a long time in which I never checked my email one time, and I knew I had forgotten to turn my “out of office”. Well, everyone survived anyway. (Due to the rain and flood, we were forced to stay in a lot, and I played Yahtzee and Trouble with my kids more than I have ever played with them. It was a good way to unplug, even though it was “forced” upon me.)
Yea, the only time I unplug in a literal sense is when I’m forced.
However, sometimes I plugin to unplug from the world.