I recently ran across the following quote from Anne Lamott: “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” When I read that quote, I was actually in the middle of an extended time of “unplugging” from my normal routine. My family and I headed to our property in Tennessee at the start of August. Our intention was to stay there for four weeks. This was extended to six weeks, due to the impact of Hurricane Ida on the Gulf Coast and our home in New Orleans.
Since we bought our property in Tennessee late last year, I’ve had more time away from “normal” distractions. Our property is very rural. We don’t have reliable high-speed internet, cable TV, and barely have cell service. Waking up in the morning and drinking my coffee in the quiet rural setting with awesome views of the Smoky Mountains is peaceful and rejuvenating. It’s good for my soul. I find when I return to “city life” that it doesn’t take long for the pressures of life to return.
There have been many times in my career that I’ve truly needed and gotten time to unplug from the pressures and demands of my job. I still have fond memories of family vacations where I did a good job of unplugging. Our family trips have been as simple as renting a lake house on False River in Louisiana, or have been more adventurous like Wyoming and Montana; England, Ireland, and Scotland; and Thailand. One particular fond memory is a two-week vacation in China in 2003 that my wife and I took with friends. The common denominator in all these times was that I truly unplugged from work demands. Note that I said “truly” and not “totally!” There were a few times when my family had to remind me to stop looking at email!
I’ve found that I’ve enjoyed three key benefits to unplugging:
- A fresh perspective: I find that after I unplug for a period of time, I approach problems with a new and different perspective. Hard problems don’t seem as hard. Also, I don’t feel as stressed about the problem
- More energy: It’s not too surprising that this benefit exists. Taking some time away from “normal” pressures and relaxing is really refreshing, both physically and mentally.
- Higher motivation: When I unplug, I use the time to really remember why I’m doing what I’m doing. I also find that I do things while unplugged that I don’t normally do. This gives me confidence. With renewed confidence, I find that little extra dose of motivation I need to tackle the problems at hand.
Before you consider unplugging, there are three basic questions I think you should answer:
- When should I unplug? Sometimes, this is answered by your normal schedule. When you have control over your schedule, pick a time that suits your support network. For me, I preferred to schedule unplugging time during family vacations. At a minimum, I would schedule time away with my wife.
- Where should I unplug? Pick a place that inspires you. If you like a beach vacation (as I do), pick a beach that is convenient and reasonably priced. You don’t need the stress of an expensive vacation – that defeats the purpose of unplugging.
- What limits should I put on myself? I suggest you minimize your time on your phone, email, or social media.
I hope you got something out of this post. If you have experiences with unplugging that you would feel comfortable sharing, please reply to this post with your experiences. At a minimum, I challenge you to schedule some time to unplug. You’ll be better for it!
p.s. The photo is of Invergarry Castle in Scotland.
