The Value of “Unplugging”

By Blaise Amendolace, Psy. D.

In today’s world, we are constantly being pulled in so many different directions. Our attention span is treated like a commodity being traded on Wall Street.

If you’re like most people, you find it difficult to “unplug” and to just enjoy being in the moment. Maybe you feel pulled from the demands of your job. Or maybe you’re constantly getting phone calls, texts, or instant messages on your smart phone. Maybe you feel like you have to keep up with all of the social media sites you’re on.   There are so many aspects society as a whole vying for our eyes and ears through advertisements.

Before all of this technology, people were more likely to “stop and smell the roses.” But now, with all of the complexities of modern society, it’s easy to not even know where to find the roses to stop and smell!

One thing you can be sure of is that once you learn how to unplug and get in touch with living in the present, you will find that all of these things vying for your time and attention are either not that significant in the grand scheme of life and that your life is not as stressful as you once thought.

There are several ways you can unplug yourself.  While the practice of meditation, mindfulness, prayer, and yoga are becoming more common, another effective way to get back in balance is therapy.  One of the most valued aspects of engaging in psychotherapy is the guarantee that you will get to unplug for about an hour a week. The act of unplugging might be strange and uncomfortable at first. You might feel as though you’re neglecting something you should be doing.  After a session or two, you’re guaranteed to look forward to the opportunity to unplug.

If you find yourself going to sleep each night  wondering where your day went or what you could have been doing to live a life more in accordance with the life you want to live, consider therapy as a way to help jumpstart your ability to unplug!