Unplug

It’s summer. And because of school schedules, it’s typically the time of year that many people choose to take a vacation.

The root word of vacation is “vacate” which means to empty, free, divest, remove, clear out, leave, quit, relinquish, depart, check out, resign from, depart from…you get the picture. But how many of us really do that? When you’re on vacation, do you – can you – unplug? Can you free yourself from your phone and other devices? Can you truly let go of what’s going on at the office and enjoy your time off?

It’s not easy, is it? Technology makes it so easy to stay connected and so hard to let go of what’s happening “back at the ranch”.

Whether you’re planning a get-away vacation, a stay-cation, or no “off time” this summer, here are some suggestions that will help you unplug and enjoy whatever time you have.

1. Embrace the “Off” button

Try it. Turn off your phone, laptop, tablet, and see what happens. Many people feel an increased level of anxiety when they disconnect, so start small. Begin by turning off your devices for 15 minutes and then increase the time in 15-minute increments. By just embracing the “off” button for 15 minutes a day, you can create a mini-vacation even in the middle of a busy day.

And while we’re on the subject of turning off devices, I’d like to take a minute to rant about the practice of being glued to cell phones during meals. I just have two words to say about that — STOP IT! No wonder genuine face-to-face, eyeball-to-eyeball communication is a rarity. Relationships at every level are suffering. You may have heard about Brad Williams, a Chick-Fil-A store operator in Suwannee, GA who came up with the cell phone coop, a challenge that encourages people to put away their phones during meals. If successful, each participant gets a free ice cream cone. Hooray Chick-Fil-A! Barbara Cochran, the extraordinarily busy, high-powered real estate mogul and out-spoken shark on TV’s “Shark Tank”, puts down her business cell phone when she walks in the door of her home each evening and doesn’t pick it up again until she leaves for the office the next morning. Bravo, Barbara! We would all benefit from a similar practice.

A friend sent a quote this week from an unknown source that said, “I finally realized it. People are prisoners of their phones. That’s way they are called cell phones.”

2. Unplug from the usual

Do something different, something new, something unlike what you do on a daily basis. It can be something completely relaxing or something that makes you sweat – an activity or endeavor that gets your heart pumping either from physical exertion or from being out of your comfort zone.

3. Explore new territory

Go somewhere you’ve never been – a different country, state, region – or investigate a place in your own city where you’ve never been. If you’re accustomed to driving in a certain area, walk it instead. You’ll see it from a fresh perspective.

Don’t have the time or money for a real getaway? You can take a mini-vacation any time you like! Simply embrace the “off” button, unplug from the usual, or explore new territory. By doing so, there’s a greater likelihood of a great day!