This article on “The Importance of Disconnecting” is sponsored by Palm but as always all opinions are my own.
Have you ever truly researched the importance of disconnecting? Lately I’ve been feeling as if the world, the internet and social media have taken over my life to my avail. And it’s basically all my fault. Can you relate? I’m sure so many of us can. Do you sleep with your phone beside of you, checking it first thing in the morning before you do anything else at all? Do you often find yourself scrolling through your phone while at dinner out of habit? Do you look at your phone and put it down, only to pull it back out within 5 minutes? I am telling you, it’s an addiction. Our cell phones now let us have everything at our fingertips and as amazing as it can be, it can also hurt us and hinder our personal connections. While juggling real life and the digital era, we often end up sacrificing one for the other. I have found myself countless times giving more attention to my phone over my own children. I finally realized this one night as I was putting my oldest child to bed, she said to me…
“Mommy please lay with me.” I said “I can’t Keatyn, I have work to do. I’m too busy.”
It clicked something inside of me. It’s a necessity to unplug when my kids are around. It’s so easy to become addicted to our phones and work nonstop when you’re getting notifications left and right. We haven’t learned to stop working at evening time, we continue to until our eyes close. I can’t tell you how many times my husband and I have been watching a movie together while on our phones the whole time. People, it HAS to stop. My kids, my friends and my family deserve more. They deserve my full attention without all the distractions. So what can we do about it?
Last month I posted a couple of photos on Instagram about my new Palm and how it has helped me disconnect more and live in the moment. When Palm’s #LifeMode feature is enabled, you will not get notified of calls, texts and emails or notifications from apps when the screen is off. Zero temptation with the Palm. You have to physically wake up the screen so you can connect with the outside world on your own terms.
Here are some ways that I have used my Palm:
- Date nights with my husband. I can’t tell you how many times I have gotten mad at my husband for being on his phone nonstop while he’s out with me or watching movies for an at-home date night. I’m sure he’s felt the same way. I’ve made it a point to put away the cell phone and only keep out my Palm companion so I’m not tempted to Instagram surf while waiting on dinner or a boring part of a movie. I truly believe it’s so vital for our relationships to truly be in the moment and connect.
- At the gym. I find myself often getting distracted while working out with my regular phone and not completely focusing in on my workouts. I can still listen to music on my Palm and utilize all my favorite functions but stay focused. (Plus it’s discreet and small enough to fit in all my gym clothes!)
- When I’m with my kids. For the most part, unless I have a pressing deadline, I aim to be focused when my kids are around. I never want them to see me as a mom who cared more about her phone than snuggling with them or putting them to bed. I try to handle all of business other than a quick text after they’re asleep.
- Girls night with my friends. There’s nothing more frustrating than being at a dinner table and looking around to see each person on their phone not even engaging in conversation. We have seriously gotten to the point where authentic human connections mean less to us than digital ones. I make it a point to put my Palm in life mode and only use it to check in on my kids at home.
All of these are perfect examples of times we need to unplug from our screens and technology. In a world where everyone puts their best foot forward on social media, it’s so easy to fall into the comparison trap that so many of us do. I use my platform to show real life and would NEVER want anyone to feel less than because of what I’m conveying on social media. I personally feel the daily comparison struggles from a life of seeing everyone’s highlight reels, especially the ones who never display the bad parts. Unplugging from screen time has helped with my feelings of comparison and helped me refocus my gratitude for life and what truly matters. It has also dramatically helped with the misery of FOMO (fear of missing out) because it’s not thrown in my face every time I miss an event or see my peers hanging out and doing fun stuff without me or trying the newest restaurant when I can’t even get a babysitter.
You truly start to understand how addicting your screen can be when you decide to step away from it. Your life is so much richer when you focus on the here and now. I really feel like it has made me a more creative and helped me focus on my true passions. Life is all about balance so find yours. I’ve personally found that Palm has helped me find a better balance, but it’s up to you to find your “Palm”. If you’re feeling all the things I’ve written about here then join me in the #LifeMode challenge of disconnecting. Even if it’s just a couple of days a week or 1-2 hours a day, trust me it’s beneficial to focus on the importance of disconnecting. You can read more about Palm’s LifeMode by visiting their website.