Disconnect!

Yes you read the title correctly. Disconnect right now to connect in real life or IRL as the GenZ say. We all know the dos & dont’s of devices. The best ways to utilise screen time is by heart to us. What is missing is putting these hacks to use. So now that you are here, read through to know how to trick your mind to getting away from the enticing screen of your laptop, tablet, mobile phone and multitude of other devices.

Get smarter than the smartphone – While we are quick to install the latest apps, there are plenty of built in features to keep a check on your digital heallth. Start with basic app locking feature to deter re-opening. Mute notifications from all apps save the real time connect one’s – making calls, instant messaging and 1-2 more of your choice. Ofcourse you don’t need that notification of ‘price drop’ from e-commerce app or leisure app you have signed up for. Gaurd your sleep and nap schedules by using bedtime mode which greys out the screen making it instantly unappealing to use. Setup time limits to regulate app usage for the time-guzzling ones. One hack to re-wire your brain is to hide them from showing up in your device menu. If nothing works then deletion of app temporarily is also a viable self-discipline option.

Write it down – Agree not everyone is a born writer. But we all love task lists and to-do’s alright. So start engaging your mind to write the mundane daily stuff – grocery list, weekly meal plan, family schedule, mini-project and diy ideas. Get cosy and pen cute reminders, make a warm card or a fuzzy note to someone. If writing to express to others is not your cup of tea, start with writing for yourself – journal your thoughts, write letters to yourself and document your life goals. Keep a few notepads and pens handy in every corner of your home. Easy hack to trick your brain out of the excuse ‘I can’t find pen & paper but my mobile phone is handy’.

Move around – Movement is liberating. Movement is engaging. Movement takes the dullness away and gives enough stimuli for our brain like screens do. Just head out for a walk in your neighbourhood and make small talk with the folks you bump into. If in a sporty mood you could bike, slide, run or even take a short walk in the woods amidst nature. Or if weather doesn’t permit put on your favourtise music and make a waking trail within the house itself. Music is a good way to hack your mind into making this activity more enjoyable and less lonesome.

Get handy – Engage in a eye-hand coordination activity. It doesn’t have to be complex like knitting, crocheting, pottery or investment heavy like jewellery making, creating murals, cooking an exotic meal, home improvement projects. It could come off from the list of things to do around the house that you have been pushing back – that plant you wanted to repot, that corner you have been meaning to deep clean, that wardrobe sorting which is pending since spring or that ‘needs repair’ stash you have been stowing away.

Congratulations on making it through to the end. Now all you need is adopting atleast one of it and starting to disconnect rightaway!