An important part of living a sustainable lifestyle is fostering our own health and wellbeing. After all, if we’re going to take care of our planet, we need to take care of ourselves first. There’s no better way to spend time than by being with friends and family, finding a new hobby to explore, or simply taking in some fresh air and enjoying the view. In a nutshell, it’s about staying present, and there’s one thing we can do that makes all of that so much easier. That is simply putting our phones down and disconnecting, so we can reconnect.
Did you know that according to a recent study, Canadians are now spending an average of 10 hours a day looking at a screen? This same study indicates we’re spending more than four hours of that time looking at our phones alone. If that sounds crazy, ask yourself, “What’s the first thing I do when I wake up in the morning?” For many people, the first thing they do is to check their phone for missed calls, texts, or emails. We can’t escape technology, and truthfully, we don’t want to, but we do need to disconnect from time to time. Understanding how to reconnect is really about learning to be present, and one simple way of doing that is setting aside “disconnect time” where we put down our devices, and focus on the important things right in front of us. This idea of disconnecting has become more and more popular over the last couple of years, and now there’s even a National Day of Unplugging. On this day, people around the world are encouraged to turn off their devices from sunrise to sundown and focus on friends and family, as a way of helping people see the positive effect of disconnecting, even for a short period of time.
There are many ways of disconnecting to reconnect – like choosing not to look at a screen for more than a few hours at a time, or preparing a home cooked meal for loved ones, playing a board game with friends, or just focusing creative time on your latest artistic masterpiece. Each of these things helps us focus on the present and recharge your mind and spirit.
At West 5, we offer several community events that encourage you to disconnect from technology and allow you to reconnect with nature, your community, and yourself too. From yoga and pottery classes that allow you to focus on mindfulness; to beautiful hikes on our nearby trails, West 5 offers a variety of ways to reconnect to the important things in life.
The benefits of periodically disconnecting can be profound. It promotes creativity, a feeling of well-being and gratitude. It reminds us of the power and beauty of real-life human connection, and it helps us to appreciate each and every moment.
