Tech-Free Thanksgiving - Recap and Tidbits

Enjoying our annual tradition -
a trip to the holiday lights on the day after Thanksgiving - technology free.

Thanks to everyone who joined in for the Tech-Free Thanksgiving Challenge! 

Though Thanksgiving has ended and we've re-entered the world of technology and social media, there are a few things I did during the challenge that I'm planning to continue moving forward because they were so impactful.

Here's my list in case you'd like to try them too.

1. Delete Facebook for iPhone.
I know, I know - this means no instagram photos or oh-so-witty-I-must-post-this-RIGHT-now-updates, but it has also meant no mindless-Facebook-scrolling while in line at the store/waiting for dinner to cook/talking to loved ones (oops). 

For me, it's meant that going on social media has become very intentional - something I plan to do so that I can update my coaching page or check messages, rather than something I just find myself doing instead of doing the-thing-I-was-supposed-to-be-doing-in-the-first-place. 

Do you also find yourself checking Facebook instead of doing the-thing-you-were-supposed-to-be-doing-in-the-first-place? Don't beat yourself up too much - according to a study by the University of Chicago, the urge to check social media is stronger than the urge for sex. 

2. Carry a Book or Magazine.
Yep, good old fashioned, paper book - in my purse, when I go to bed, to the kitchen as dinner is cooking. I've been able to catch up on a few classic leadership books as well as a few great articles by adding this bit of consistent, extra reading time to my days and evenings.

3. Start Paying Close Attention to Intake.
We take in a lot of 'stuff' all day long - emails, calls, news stories, the list goes on and on. When I unplugged for the holidays, I became very aware of the amount of stuff I take in - and the energy that each piece of information creates.

When we read through our friends' complaints in our news feed, those complaints carry energy that we take in as we read them. When we read the same-old-string of local news on violence/robberies/muggings/drugs, we take in that energy with each story we read.

While it's important to be connected and informed, it's also important to be aware of the energy we create in our own lives through the energy we take in each day. For me, this has meant fewer visits to one of my go-to local news sources, and being much more intentional about what I pay attention to on social media.

Do you have any favorite ways to unplug or manage the amount of information we're exposed to each day? I'd love to hear about them in the comments.

Thanks for reading!
Sarah