Unplug, de-stress, reconnect

Imagine being surrounded by a calm sea, a gorgeous sky, a breathtaking sunset, and . . . people on their cell phones.

Seriously?

If you had a chance to be totally unplugged and away from the distractions of electronics, would you take advantage? On a recent vacation, a surprising number of my fellow cruise ship passengers totally missed the majesty of the sea and the glory of the sky, because they couldn’t see past their electronic screens.

I was blessed to be able to enjoy four days of zero electronic communication. At first, it was a challenge. We are so attached to our smartphones that I truly believe it is actually making us a little dumber. We don’t need to know anything, really. We just need a way to look it up. That’s another topic for another day.

As for communication, we had (drumroll, please) actual conversations. Yes, looking people in the eye, speaking real words, and listening to what they have to say. Amazing, right?

Give it a try. You don’t have to go on a cruise ship to unplug, although that is a nice side benefit. Just put down your electronic device and walk away. Try it for a few minutes, a few hours, or even a few days. Take some deep breaths and remember what it feels like to connect with others on a human level.

Do you unplug occasionally? Do you stress more or less without your electronic device?