Today is Global Day of Unplugging—an initiative created by the Unplug Collaborative to encourage entire communities to take a break from technology. Their goal is to help people gain a better understanding of the role technology plays in our lives so that we can be better equipped to establish healthier tech habits going forward.
Read MoreIf you’re at all like me—someone who habitually rushes through life and lives overly in the realm of thought—taking regular short pauses to stop amid all the busyness to relax and get grounded in the present moment can yield big results. That’s what inspired me to partner with mindfulness and meditation teacher, Katie Dutcher, on a new Quest for Eternal Sunshine free resource called “Take a Moment.”
Read MoreEvery Tuesday morning I receive an email with an intriguing writing prompt from my writing mentor, Laura Davis. I always respond to them in my head, if not on paper. A while back, the prompt was, “Write a letter to a great, great, great, great grandchild, or to another child living far off in the future. Impart your hard-fought wisdom about what truly matters in life.” My response surfaced at lightning speed: “I hope you’re not spending your life glued to a screen.”
Read MoreToday is my 58th birthday. Reflecting back on the past year, I feel extremely grateful for many things, especially the birth of my beloved grandson, Elián, who turned ten months earlier this week. Also topping my list is the new ritual I established exactly one year ago today during the height of the pandemic, when I gave myself the birthday gift of a full day offline—a much needed break from my screens, as well as from the relentless avalanche of bad news.
Read MoreLast Monday morning, an email from Macy’s arrived in my inbox announcing, “BLACK FRIDAY EARLY ACCESS—HURRY, SHOP SPECIALS TODAY!” There was a clock with big red numbers ticking down, announcing “Only 12 hours, 26 minutes, 53 seconds left!” Soon more emails started pouring in from other retailers that got my adrenaline going as they urged me to shop, shop, shop before it’s too late for deals that are too good to pass up. Some were quite tempting!
Read MoreTaking a full 24-hours away from technology helps us gain more awareness about our often-unconscious habits and attachments while giving our brains and nervous systems a much-needed rest. It reminds us that recharging ourselves is more important than recharging our phones and helps us establish healthier boundaries with our devices every day so that we can experience more calm and peace in our lives.
Read MoreFor most of my life, one of my greatest pleasures was gazing up at the stars on clear, dark nights. As my eyes adjusted, I was always mesmerized by the countless new points of light that kept magically appearing as time went by. I never tired of communing with such vast, mysterious splendor.
Read MoreMy birthday was last Thursday, and one of the gifts I asked my husband for was to support my wish to go the entire day without hearing any news. I hadn’t taken a full break from the news since February, and I was long overdue!
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