Global Day of Unplugging- Sundown March 7 to Sundown March 8

“In this media-drenched, multitasking, always-on age, many of us have forgotten how to unplug and immerse ourselves completely in the moment. We have forgotten how to slow down. Not surprisingly, this fast-forward culture is taking a toll on everything from our diet and health to our work and the environment.” -Carl Honore

Try to think about the last time that you went a whole day without using technology- without any screen time at all. I for one, cannot. I have no idea how many weeks/months/or even years that it has been since I had a day that was totally and completely tech free. I have an extremely busy life, and I am on my phone for most of it. Technology is woven into virtually everything that I do. I have a full-time job and a part-time job in addition to writing this blog; all three require the use of technology. I also have pool league twice a week as well as tournaments on weekends which require the use of an app on my phone. Then on nights when I have time to rest, I turn to my phone to check the scores of my favorite teams, mindlessly scroll, and to play games to relax.

In 2009 a nonprofit organization called Reboot and the group Sabbath Manifesto started the first National Day of Unplugging to help remind us that life happens off screen. It began as a 24-hour break from all technology- a digital detox to remember our connections to each other. From this idea spawned the Unplug Collaborative, a 501(c)(3) based out of Sherman Oaks, California that is devoted entirely to this concept- to unplug from your technology and live your life. They became the governing body of The National Day of Unplugging.  In 2023, this idea became international and thus we now refer to it as the Global Day of Unplugging. Since its inception in 2009, hundreds of thousands of people around the world have taken part in this phenomenon of going completely screen free for 24 hours. 

On average, Americans spend around 5 hours on their phones a day. Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, spend up to 6 and a half hours on their phone each day, and this is having an effect on both our mental and physical health. Terrifying recent studies have shown that being addicted to your phone affects the grey matter in your brain in the same way being addicted to drugs does.

Unplugging can be good for your mental health. It can reduce your anxiety levels, lower stress and improve overall mental well-being. Unplugging from social media will cause you to be more productive and more focused at work. It will also help you to connect better with other people. Unplugging can also have benefits on your physical health. It can help you to sleep more hours as well as improve your overall quality of sleep. It can also reduce your risk of repetitive stress injuries related to using your phone such as “tech neck”. And, unplugging helps combat digital eyestrain- that headachy, dry eye, blurred vision feeling you get when you stare at your phone or computer too long.

Sure, the thought of unplugging from everything for 24 hours sounds completely daunting and quite frankly unfeasible in the technology-driven world in which we live- especially in early March in northern Michigan, but I have compiled a list of activities to help fill that time for those of you brave enough to take part in this challenge:

• Do a craft- knitting, sewing, crocheting, macramé, cross stich, paper mâché, rock painting, or origami.
• Play a game with friends or family members.
• Organize an area or room of your house that needs it.
• Get outside and hike or go for a walk- alone, with your dog, or with your friends
• Look for Petoskey stones. This is the perfect time of year to find them on the shore.
• Put together a puzzle.
• Read a book- perhaps one that you purchased because you liked the look of the cover and had every intention of reading but that has been sitting on your dresser for 3 months collecting dust. . . Or, head to your local library.
• Journal.
• Volunteer. Help out at a deserving, local nonprofit.
• Shop locally. Support one of Petoskey’s amazing downtown stores.
• Follow a new recipe and cook or bake something from scratch.

I challenge you for 24 hours starting at sundown on March 7 to unplug from technology. And, if 24 hours seems impossible for you, start small and unplug for less time. Live in the moment, and enjoy the things and the people around you.