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Celebrating the many benefits of forest bathing... Occasionally I stumble upon something so obvious it seems revolutionary: In a tech dystopia, we need to connect more with trees. Maybe you can relate...
So I've been offline a lot in the last few weeks. While I think I can say I've successfully relegated my phone back to the status of a phone instead of a tiny monitor that never leaves the palm of my hand, I still feel the siren call of the internet when I'm working on my computer.
by Laurie Allee If you are reading this post via email subscription, please click here to see my accompanying original video. The mixed blessing of deleting my accounts... Have you cut back on social media and noticed a weird reaction from friends and family? Now, before I continue, let's get one thing straight: if you are proselytizing digital minimalism to people, then I understand their blowback. There's nothing more annoying than someone ranting at you to do something a certain way. Nobody wants a lecture about social media or phones. (They don't want one about politics, religion or child rearing, either.) I'm talking about the gut reaction from people when you mention you've quit Facebook or decided to put down your phone. There's an undeniable defensiveness that comes out, and I think it's so strange.
Here's a sample of the kind of things I regularly hear:
When I first realized I might need to rethink my relationship with technology, I took baby steps. You know what I mean: I only checked Instagram ONCE an hour instead of repeatedly, every few minutes. I waited maybe five minutes after getting up to check Twitter, instead of taking the phone into the bathroom with me. I put the phone on my nightstand instead of cradling it to sleep. I mean, come on, I didn't have a problem.I wasn't one of those phone people. I could actually get through a dinner with someone by just sideways glancing at the phone on the table as notifications came in. It wasn't like I picked it up. (Well, not much.)
Welcome to Life Analog A simple blog for living IRL
Log off. Tune in. Opt out.
Maybe you've felt it too: that weird, sinking feeling that something is now missing. Despite the constant connectivity, the app for everything, the Prime Same Day delivery, the likes, the swipes... something is gone. There's a feeling kind of like what you get at the end of a long, drunken party. Sure, it's been fun. It's been rowdy and wild and exciting. But we've all had a bit too much, and our heads are swimming. People are showing off and picking fights and throwing up. At this point it would be really nice to get away from all the chaos, sleep it off, and wake up to something a little more grounded. If you're nodding right now, then stick around. Life Analog is my place to piece together a more truly connected life than the one I can get checking Twitter. Join me as I try to find the tangible in a world that is becoming more and more virtual. Explore the tabs and links for help with digital addiction, smartphone overload and the inevitable social media hangover. Look around for inspiration and validation from a weary but hopeful fellow traveler. I'm not suggesting we completely abandon the digital party. But let's go back and find the analog treasures we lost there. Let's step out from behind the screen. I post several times a month. (More than that would encourage you to keep scrolling!) You can find out more here.
