I have taken this subject pretty seriously over the years. You need time offline.
Regularly & Intentionally. For lots of reasons.
THE DIGITAL DETOX SERIES OBJECTIVE SERIES CONSTANTS:
My plan with this series is to intentionally remind you, daily to get offline, give your brain, eyes, soul a break and time to reset and remind you that relationships with people can suffer if you are always on your phone and not PRESENT -- in every sense of the word.
The irony of bringing this series to you online, asking you to get offline, on an online blogging platform, is not lost on me.
There have been limited studies done on some of the effects of this digital hold on our lives and they are concerning to say the least. Social media use appears to encourage some of the following negative effects, some of which we hear about regularly now:
-- Narcissism
-- Screen time/white light/activity appears to be causing insomnia/broken sleep cycles (circadian rhythm)
-- Detached reality making our society and kids less empathetic and in touch with reality
Results from the few studies that have been done are troubling. Social media appears to promote narcissism, smartphones could be causing insomnia, and screens seem to be making our kids less empathetic.
Earlier posts in this series covered that in more detail.
TODAY'S DIGITAL DETOX TIDBIT:
A Study was done, by taking influencers to the Moroccan desert, where their tech was left behind for a few days. I will break these next posts in this series up by showing the results and hopefully you can ponder things and then apply these results to your life, in your own way!
--
Part 4:
( See past and next Digital Detox series posts out about once/week to follow along, and check all the past posts in this series I run for lots of tips )
More Deep Recovery / Efficient Sleep:
Don't Risk a Crash in Your Health!
--
The guests on the retreat with no tech. stated they did not have to sleep as long, yet felt even more recovered / rested and fresh.
The neuroscientists have always stated their strong belief this is due the blue light from screens suppresses the body's melatonin. That light in the eyes, makes us more alert as we are going to sleep.
From my personal Blue Collar Barry perspective, I have honestly tried this on myself dozens of times. I will stay online later than my normal 10 pm EST deadline some nights, and when I do, I feel WIRED with the light in my eyes, and cannot start to shut my eyes/brain down in time for a decent bedtime.
Studies have shown that those of us who check their phone before bed, or in bed - as most people will do....- don’t get high-quality rest.
I honestly truly know this to be a fact people! Get offline 2-3 hours before bed, train your mind to stay off the laptop/computer/mobile/pad screens and be PERFECTLY FINE with this!
Shut them down, put them on silent, leave them off / in another room, flip the screen down onto the table or counter and walk away -- for the good of your health and mind.
Find a Digital Detox buddy as was mentioned earlier to do these things with, it helps to have support in place for little things like this.
Support and accountability again.
I've blogged here and in the past about this, but new people are finding the posts, or searching online, so I am saying this again today because it is VERY very important:
--
Keep tech/devices out of your bedroom and your kids rooms:
--
A constant tip is change 1 habit at a time, so I will keep this in the series.
Reminder: (see past posts) -- Try to use proper, healthy posture techniques always and be purposeful about this.
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/posture-for-a-healthy-back
Stick with it and make notes daily about how you feel doing this! Share thoughts with a friend or 2!
--
I don't embed my sources like "professional bloggers" -- 9/10 times -- people don't click the sources anyways, let alone hover the cursor to even check quickly, and this way, they can SEE the sources / url's -- that's what I prefer myself anyways, so if i get flagged, I get flagged, I am trying to appeal to the masses here.
--
It is more than just unplugging intentionally as I call it -- it is a return to some societal values that we have abandoned in favour of having all the access to data and online resources we have -- a shift is required. However:
Intentional Unplugging as I call it -- is a huge and necessary step.
--
As a reminder of what we see daily in the PHYSICAL realm of problems, here is a graphic showing the damage of the neck and spine as it relates to pounds of pressure looking downwards all the time:
--
--
(Sorry this is grainy but I enlarged this 2x, so you could see it better. This is right from the Ontario Chiropractic Association (hard to read but that is the source) -- and I wanted this unedited, it was a jpeg and resizing those means less quality)
My Community Engagement questions to you, today, if you have read this far are simple and will evolve over time:
--
-- Did you INTENTIONALLY "unplug" or stay offline this week? How many times? Give yourself 1 point for each day in your reply!
-- Did you unplug with a family member / friends intentionally this week and thus CONNECT to them meaningfully? If yes, give yourself a point!
-- Have you realized this is a problem in your life, because that is the FIRST step! If so - 2 points for you!
-- Are you aware of this problem around you and your friends and family and have you addressed it with others? If so, you get a point also! ( Note I have always used the word "addressed" in this series, some people confuse this word with telling others what to do.... this is not the same thing. Dialogue with others is the goal. Awareness.)
-- Did you put your devices in another room at dinner time and at bedtime this week intentionally? That's a point each time, champ! List it! Think on it!!
--
Please tally up your points, list it in a reply and please open up about how you feel about these issues in your life and the world today!!
Why??
Because this is a Community Resource and I care and we are all in this together. None of us are getting out alive.
That is the end of today's post in this series. I wanted to cover all the basics in the Series constants, as usual, for all the new people reading this post for the first time,
If you are still reading -- thank you very much and have a nice day. I hope something here helps you.
Thanks for reading, have a nice day.
If you liked this blog post - please Resteem it and share good content with others!
--
Some of my recent blogs:
--
Gif's - via Giphy.com , Funny or Die.com
If you feel my posts are undervalued or you want to donate to tip me - I would appreciate it very much.
Bitcoin (BTC) - 18J6RRuzX4V7b2CDbx7tWZYNBLkkGWsvWX
DASH - XgZvsvSZgPkNbmGbRhc3S1Pt2JAc7QHwiS
PIVX - DA3azxQqJiX9t7EviuacpamfNhMi2zGAUh
Expanse (EXP) - 0x819b9cce8630ab638198eabfd7496786c20d629a
Monero (XMR) - d8ecb02c09f70ec10504b59b96bc1f488af28b05933893dfd1f55b113e23fbff
Ethereum (ETH) - 0x3Ad69Ff057C9533ca667B2d7E3E557F5eeFd4477
Ethereum Classic (ETC) - 0x5ab2b08d4ce8d454eb9d1ecc65c6d8b0c5f9784c
LiteCoin (LTC) - LKdsnvSXk9JW99EiNicFMGKc1FXiBo9tUE
Stratis (STRAT) - SNsJp6v1jXvKWy4XcXSXfNQ9zhSJJppJgv
Synereo (AMP) - 1KnrL6wFHaT4gjJ2YJ5f6WmKTDJNsaBS8s
ZCash (ZEC) - t1aCPEYELkGaf3GtgGTiCEDo7XfPm4QEwmL
Please note -- I will have limited internet access for awhile -- so PLEASE do not be upset that I cannot reply right away, or to everyone. I am dealing with some changes, and will have limited time online and will be happy if I get a few blog posts up a week.
I have taken this subject pretty seriously over the years. You need time offline.
Regularly & Intentionally. For lots of reasons.
THE DIGITAL DETOX SERIES OBJECTIVE SERIES CONSTANTS:
My plan with this series is to intentionally remind you, daily to get offline, give your brain, eyes, soul a break and time to reset and remind you that relationships with people can suffer if you are always on your phone and not PRESENT -- in every sense of the word.
The irony of bringing this series to you online, asking you to get offline, on an online blogging platform, is not lost on me.
There have been limited studies done on some of the effects of this digital hold on our lives and they are concerning to say the least. Social media use appears to encourage some of the following negative effects, some of which we hear about regularly now:
-- Narcissism
-- Screen time/white light/activity appears to be causing insomnia/broken sleep cycles (circadian rhythm)
-- Detached reality making our society and kids less empathetic and in touch with reality
Results from the few studies that have been done are troubling. Social media appears to promote narcissism, smartphones could be causing insomnia, and screens seem to be making our kids less empathetic.
Earlier posts in this series covered that in more detail.
TODAY'S DIGITAL DETOX TIDBIT:
A Study was done, by taking influencers to the Moroccan desert, where their tech was left behind for a few days. I will break these next posts in this series up by showing the results and hopefully you can ponder things and then apply these results to your life, in your own way!
--
Part 4:
( See past and next Digital Detox series posts out about once/week to follow along, and check all the past posts in this series I run for lots of tips )
More Deep Recovery / Efficient Sleep:
Don't Risk a Crash in Your Health!
--
The guests on the retreat with no tech. stated they did not have to sleep as long, yet felt even more recovered / rested and fresh.
The neuroscientists have always stated their strong belief this is due the blue light from screens suppresses the body's melatonin. That light in the eyes, makes us more alert as we are going to sleep.
From my personal Blue Collar Barry perspective, I have honestly tried this on myself dozens of times. I will stay online later than my normal 10 pm EST deadline some nights, and when I do, I feel WIRED with the light in my eyes, and cannot start to shut my eyes/brain down in time for a decent bedtime.
Studies have shown that those of us who check their phone before bed, or in bed - as most people will do....- don’t get high-quality rest.
I honestly truly know this to be a fact people! Get offline 2-3 hours before bed, train your mind to stay off the laptop/computer/mobile/pad screens and be PERFECTLY FINE with this!
Shut them down, put them on silent, leave them off / in another room, flip the screen down onto the table or counter and walk away -- for the good of your health and mind.
Find a Digital Detox buddy as was mentioned earlier to do these things with, it helps to have support in place for little things like this.
Support and accountability again.
I've blogged here and in the past about this, but new people are finding the posts, or searching online, so I am saying this again today because it is VERY very important:
--
Keep tech/devices out of your bedroom and your kids rooms:
--
A constant tip is change 1 habit at a time, so I will keep this in the series.
Reminder: (see past posts) -- Try to use proper, healthy posture techniques always and be purposeful about this.
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/posture-for-a-healthy-back
Stick with it and make notes daily about how you feel doing this! Share thoughts with a friend or 2!
--
I don't embed my sources like "professional bloggers" -- 9/10 times -- people don't click the sources anyways, let alone hover the cursor to even check quickly, and this way, they can SEE the sources / url's -- that's what I prefer myself anyways, so if i get flagged, I get flagged, I am trying to appeal to the masses here.
--
It is more than just unplugging intentionally as I call it -- it is a return to some societal values that we have abandoned in favour of having all the access to data and online resources we have -- a shift is required. However:
Intentional Unplugging as I call it -- is a huge and necessary step.
--
As a reminder of what we see daily in the PHYSICAL realm of problems, here is a graphic showing the damage of the neck and spine as it relates to pounds of pressure looking downwards all the time:
--
--
(Sorry this is grainy but I enlarged this 2x, so you could see it better. This is right from the Ontario Chiropractic Association (hard to read but that is the source) -- and I wanted this unedited, it was a jpeg and resizing those means less quality)
My Community Engagement questions to you, today, if you have read this far are simple and will evolve over time:
--
-- Did you INTENTIONALLY "unplug" or stay offline this week? How many times? Give yourself 1 point for each day in your reply!
-- Did you unplug with a family member / friends intentionally this week and thus CONNECT to them meaningfully? If yes, give yourself a point!
-- Have you realized this is a problem in your life, because that is the FIRST step! If so - 2 points for you!
-- Are you aware of this problem around you and your friends and family and have you addressed it with others? If so, you get a point also! ( Note I have always used the word "addressed" in this series, some people confuse this word with telling others what to do.... this is not the same thing. Dialogue with others is the goal. Awareness.)
-- Did you put your devices in another room at dinner time and at bedtime this week intentionally? That's a point each time, champ! List it! Think on it!!
--
Please tally up your points, list it in a reply and please open up about how you feel about these issues in your life and the world today!!
Why??
Because this is a Community Resource and I care and we are all in this together. None of us are getting out alive.
That is the end of today's post in this series. I wanted to cover all the basics in the Series constants, as usual, for all the new people reading this post for the first time,
If you are still reading -- thank you very much and have a nice day. I hope something here helps you.
Thanks for reading, have a nice day.
If you liked this blog post - please Resteem it and share good content with others!
--
Some of my recent blogs:
--
Gif's - via Giphy.com , Funny or Die.com
If you feel my posts are undervalued or you want to donate to tip me - I would appreciate it very much.
Bitcoin (BTC) - 18J6RRuzX4V7b2CDbx7tWZYNBLkkGWsvWX
DASH - XgZvsvSZgPkNbmGbRhc3S1Pt2JAc7QHwiS
PIVX - DA3azxQqJiX9t7EviuacpamfNhMi2zGAUh
Expanse (EXP) - 0x819b9cce8630ab638198eabfd7496786c20d629a
Monero (XMR) - d8ecb02c09f70ec10504b59b96bc1f488af28b05933893dfd1f55b113e23fbff
Ethereum (ETH) - 0x3Ad69Ff057C9533ca667B2d7E3E557F5eeFd4477
Ethereum Classic (ETC) - 0x5ab2b08d4ce8d454eb9d1ecc65c6d8b0c5f9784c
LiteCoin (LTC) - LKdsnvSXk9JW99EiNicFMGKc1FXiBo9tUE
Stratis (STRAT) - SNsJp6v1jXvKWy4XcXSXfNQ9zhSJJppJgv
Synereo (AMP) - 1KnrL6wFHaT4gjJ2YJ5f6WmKTDJNsaBS8s
ZCash (ZEC) - t1aCPEYELkGaf3GtgGTiCEDo7XfPm4QEwmL
Please note -- I will have limited internet access for awhile -- so PLEASE do not be upset that I cannot reply right away, or to everyone. I am dealing with some changes, and will have limited time online and will be happy if I get a few blog posts up a week.
Bitcoin (BTC) - 18J6RRuzX4V7b2CDbx7tWZYNBLkkGWsvWX
DASH - XgZvsvSZgPkNbmGbRhc3S1Pt2JAc7QHwiS
PIVX - DA3azxQqJiX9t7EviuacpamfNhMi2zGAUh
Expanse (EXP) - 0x819b9cce8630ab638198eabfd7496786c20d629a
Monero (XMR) - d8ecb02c09f70ec10504b59b96bc1f488af28b05933893dfd1f55b113e23fbff
Ethereum (ETH) - 0x3Ad69Ff057C9533ca667B2d7E3E557F5eeFd4477
Ethereum Classic (ETC) - 0x5ab2b08d4ce8d454eb9d1ecc65c6d8b0c5f9784c
LiteCoin (LTC) - LKdsnvSXk9JW99EiNicFMGKc1FXiBo9tUE
Stratis (STRAT) - SNsJp6v1jXvKWy4XcXSXfNQ9zhSJJppJgv
Synereo (AMP) - 1KnrL6wFHaT4gjJ2YJ5f6WmKTDJNsaBS8s
ZCash (ZEC) - t1aCPEYELkGaf3GtgGTiCEDo7XfPm4QEwmL
Please note -- I will have limited internet access for awhile -- so PLEASE do not be upset that I cannot reply right away, or to everyone. I am dealing with some changes, and will have limited time online and will be happy if I get a few blog posts up a week.
Yeah, I just got done detoxing with some mowing time and weed eating! Now it's time to blow off some Steem!
Listen to Blue Collar Barry...He loves you all.
But you might have to compete with Pizza.
I heart you man...
and the #Pizza nite buddy.
Episode #28 going up shortly on this series buddy and I took about 30 mins, found and gathered ALL 5 of the Moroccan Desert studies, and collated them into one post. I think that alone is a powerful resource people can use in their Lexikon for Digital Detox (:
i spend most of my day off of electronics thankfully. If i am using them i am reading cryptocurrency news and blogging. i start off my morning running my doberman pinscher at the park for about an hour and a half and then blog for a couple hours, then swim after that then see what my friends are up to at the skatepark. You shouldn't let technology consume your life, but you should led tech based assets consume your wallets
Great stuff as always my man!!!
Sharing it out, and yes I unplug daily!
I love hearing people are doing this, and sometimes this series helps them!!!
You, sir, are very thorough. I appreciate this post. I'm just up late looking for interesting posts to read. I am most guilty of not getting enough sleep! I don't well with my posture, but I'm sure I slack on that at times. This is a great reminder that we do need to spend more time thinking about and working on being healthy.
You are winning this battle today, because you are here on this post and aware of where you are with things.
Have a great night (or day) my friend.
I spend a lot of free time online, mostly at Steemit website. I agree with you that it is healthy to go offline but it is not an easy thing to do.
Balance!
Yes, that is the word.
I'm taking mine this weekend and the next. I'm exhausted LOL.
LOL, it is always awesome to hear from you, I know you have had a project on the go, the opposite of a detox LOL.
I hope you are doing OK my friend.
TY for stopping in again.
Tink makes sure I spend time away from the monitor. Good girl!
That is a good sidekick helper you have Eddie.
(:
Does she just love it outback with that beauty yard oasis now?
Yup, she is and yup, she's taking advantage of as much as she can. Clever girl!
My Liberty St. / Crypto shirt post is something Tink should take you for a walk by today LOL.
Honestly, if it was not for the gentle push months ago by you, I would never have posted a lot of the personal content I have.
Thanks Eddie.
Will do. Thanks for the heads up!
I'm so tickled to see you doing so well with them. Folks like stories and you have lots of 'em!
Thanks Deb. My post today got a whale vote from Blocktrades which was pretty sweet LOL
Upvoted and also resteemed :]
Thanks for the support today!
I was not aware of the science showing our melatonin levels being suppressed by the blue light of our devices. It makes sense. Thank you for the honest and caring post Barry. Love you man. ✊️
Good input today for sure, thanks for stopping in as always my friend!
I always love hearing from you.
The light at nite is a melatonin/brain rest killer, 110% confirmed.
Hey good post. I know I spend way too much time online during the day, and unfortunately the rest of my time I'm usually driving haha. One thing you've reminded me to do though is lower my office chair a bit so I'm not looking down at my computer screens.
I enjoy it when something I put out helps someone at all, TY for LMK back on this.
Good input today for sure, thanks for stopping in!
#DigitalDetox series update!!