It’s so often that I find myself spending hours on end in front a screen. In today’s world, this is a reality that so many of us experience. Flipping through channels, typing ceaselessly – blackberry in hand where it dare not leave – and continually glancing at clocks, turning up the radio, answering the phone. All of these dependencies can become so routine that we don’t even notice how seemingly crucial they’ve become.
In my early teens, I attended summer camp where these types of devices became worthless. Watches and time-keeping were not permitted, as the daylight would allow the routine to establish itself naturally. Hours would pass before someone realized it was time for lunch; whereas elsewhere, the clock striking twelve would indicate mealtime. We were never really aware of a day’s length. In a world where 8-hour shifts, 40-hour weeks, 1-hour meetings and any other thinkable numerical value reigns, it was (now that I am old enough to realize it) liberating being relieved of any sort of schedule.
Although I was quite young when I experienced this woodsy freedom, I know that it has affected me in the long run. I stop myself every few weeks, realizing I haven’t taken it all in. So, in an attempt to offer myself (and in turn, my readers) some advice, here are a few things that will give you a chance to turn your back on technology, and actually think about something without a beep in your ear or a flash of light in your eye. Don’t panic. You’ll survive it.
1. Write in a journal, for no one else but yourself. Try not to think about what you’re writing. Don’t imagine someone reading it, or maybe even worse, don’t imagine yourself re-reading it. Don’t judge yourself for what you’re writing. Write what you feel, what you do, what you’re thinking. You’ll probably end up writing something you never even knew was in you.
2. Go for a walk. Leave your phone, iPod and watch at home. Discover a new nook of your neighborhood. Walk somewhere you’d normally drive or take public transit to. Forget about your day planner and enjoy the scenery. There’s likely something around the corner you missed between emails. And if there isn’t, you’ll undoubtedly clear your head of the day’s anxieties.
3. Take the night off. Warn your friends, family, co-workers and Twitter followers that you will be out of touch for a few hours – and then stage a blackout. Seriously. Pretend everything around you is inoperative. Do you even know what you would do? If you think you’ll be bored, then you’re more hooked than I thought. Read a book, write someone a letter, sort through piles of photographs, make a bucket list…the possibilities are endless. You’ll have more fun than you thought possible without a playlist, TV show or group chat full of gossip at your fingertips.

Uninterrupted alone time. Don't underestimate it.
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