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For nearly 20 years, we’ve made Serenity Springs a place for people to get away from the stress of daily life. Here, away from the traffic jams, daily tasks, and deadlines, people can really unwind.
One major source of stress that can be especially hard to get away from? Our electronic devices. Over time, phones have gotten smaller and more portable, which means it’s getting harder to truly disconnect from the outside world. More importantly, we may not even realize that we need peace and quiet, because we feel dependent on our devices. Meanwhile, the stress of reminders and important messages adds up, negatively impacting our ability to function.
That’s why it’s key to set aside time to unplug from our devices and take a break from our normal routines. Setting aside our devices allows us, along with our devices, to recharge.
Below are some of the top benefits of unplugging.
1. Better and healthier sleep
You might think, “oh, I keep my phone on silent when I go to bed, so it doesn’t affect my sleep.” However, it’s not just the noises of phones and other devices that can disturb your sleep.
For one thing, having your devices in your bedroom can make it harder to let go of the day’s events and drift off to dreamland. As the National Sleep Foundation points out, you need time to get away from all the stressful things in your inbox.
The National Sleep Foundation also points out that looking at the glowing screen of a TV, tablet, computer, or phone within 30 minutes of bedtime can make it more difficult to fall and stay asleep. Try to avoid using devices within 30 minutes of sleeping. If you can, leave your phone in another room, and go the old-fashioned route when looking for an alarm clock.
2. Happier outlook
We love social media just as much as anyone, but it can be a source of stress. When you have easy access to glossy photos of glamorous people, lavish homes, and other seemingly perfect scenes, it’s possible to become dissatisfied with your life in comparison.
Checking your social media feeds less often may help reduce the pressure to compare your life to others’, Fitness magazine suggests. Without the constant presence of images to compare yourself to, you’ll be better able to appreciate the things that are great in your own life.
3. Fresh mindset
Having a work-life balance is critical for all employees. Yet, as smartphone technology makes it easier to stay connected to work wherever you are, employers increasingly expect employees to check their email on nights and weekends, causing the boundary between work and home to become blurred.
According to research from Colorado State University, thinking about the emails that you’ll have to send after you leave the office can increase your stress levels, and ultimately cause you to feel emotionally exhausted. Understandably, emotional exhaustion has a negative impact on both your work and home life.
By setting your devices aside when you come home from work, you could reduce the likelihood of emotional exhaustion. Taking that time to recharge can help you be more prepared and optimistic about facing the next day at work.
If you’re concerned that you might miss something by not checking your email during the evening, you may want to try implementing some of these strategies to alter your work patterns in such a way that ensures that you still get time to relax.
4. Stronger relationships
Yes, our electronic devices have given us the ability to communicate more easily with people around the world. But they can make it more difficult to effectively communicate with people across the room.
Not only can checking your smartphone take away time that you could be spending with loved ones, but it also can affect the quality of your relationship.
Research has shown that both partners and children can feel the effects of a person’s frequent phone checking. According to a study from the journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture, members of college couples who felt like their partners were too dependent on their phones felt less satisfied with the relationship. Other research suggests that many kids feel that their parents check their phones too often and/or that their parents’ phone habit makes them feel unimportant.
That’s why we like to remind our guests to “disconnect to reconnect.” It can be difficult to break the habit of checking your phone or computer, but it’s important to give it a shot. If you can, try to check your device only at certain times. Even better, try to keep your devices out of sight. That way you can focus on your loved ones without interruptions.
Ultimately, we know it’s impractical (and probably impossible) to unplug from electronic devices completely, but it’s still worthwhile to try unplugging when you can. It’s a great way to achieve a little bit of serenity.
Ready to step away from the device you’re reading this article on? Give us a call today to plan your “disconnect to reconnect” experience. (219) 861-0000
