I know. I know. You've already made resolutions. And I'm sure they're great and important. But I'm going to suggest, as un-narcissistically as possible, that maybe you join me in one of mine.
Now don't laugh, the irony of what I'm about to write on a blog that you're probably accessing from a mobile device is not lost on me. But here it is: let's do a digital detox in January. While a lot of people are in need of a detox from over indulging in food and wine and sloth of all sorts, I'm planning to detox from my phone. Yup. You read that right. This detox includes calls, texts, emails, social media, and even cat videos. Not that I watch cat videos….
Did I lose you!?! Ok, before you freak out, let’s pump the breaks on this idea. Usually, when faced with something new, my brain goes very black/white - all or nothing. You may think I'm talking about NO phone for ALL of January. But that's not what I'm proposing. I'm simply saying that during the month of January we practice being thoughtful about our phone addictions, and set up some boundaries so we can connect to ourselves and our surroundings more fully.
So maybe you decide to put your phone away after you get home from work. Or it goes off an hour before bed. Or it doesn’t get turned on until after breakfast. Or you pick one day a week or one week a month to go completely offline.
Think of what else you could do with the time! I'm thinking I'll paint, hike, meet up with a friend or just breathe and practice being mindful of what I'm thinking or feeling in that moment. With all that extra time, there's so many options.
Now won't you put down your phone and join me!?!