9 Lessons in Learning to Unplug from a Forced Digital Detox
You never really think about or appreciate the comforts of life until, well, you don’t have them. We recently were without power for over 100 hours. Yes, no power for almost 5 full days. No air conditioning (in hot ass Texas), no Nespresso machine, no laundry to do, no refrigerator function, no chewy ice, no ceiling fans, no phones, and of course… no electronics. Sounds sort of delightful if you ask me. Of course, had I planned better, the days without power might have been much more enjoyable, but as I am learning you can never really plan for such things.
You might live in an area that is not prone to thunderstorms, hurricanes, or pretty strong winds. In the last few years our concrete jungle has become much more susceptible to weather. Our power lines are above ground and our neighborhood (while new to us) is full of older, more mature trees and a beautiful canopy. All of this combined, does mean that preparing for severe weather is no joke! Regardless of where you are in life, I hope these hints might save you some frustration and better yet - help you to make the best of any situation.
1. Embrace Nature’s Rhythms
With no power, it makes it so much easier to get up with the sun and go to bed with the moon. While being without power (and somewhat out of control of the situation) was stressful, my body was so relaxed in its natural state of rest. Even if you try this for a week - I promise you will feel the difference.
2. Stick to Routine
I learned real quick, maybe five to ten hours into our ‘adventure’ that we are all creatures of habit. Arnie, our cavalier, still wanted to eat on time, go on his morning walks, take afternoon naps, etc. He really didn’t notice the ‘no power’ situation. I struggled without power to make my morning shake and have my morning hot lemon water. Sure, I could have adapted, instead I took it as a break from my normal routine. I struggled for a few days to get my body reacclimated to a routine - and I can assure you it is much less stressful.
3. Find Joy in Simple Pleasures
The first two days I went to a local coffee shop to get one cup of the dark brew for me and a whipped cream treat for Arnie. It was like a staycation for us, we had to find the joie de vivre if you will. After the second day the pizazz was less than lack-luster. And much to my surprise I was OVERJOYED to find I had a french press and our stove top is gas operated. So I could boil water. And Scout and Cellar’s Medium Roast is DELISH— and so for the remaining three days it was really a morning vacation of french press coffee!!!
4. Stay Hydrated
I say this all the time: hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. I am reminding you as much as I am really reminding myself. After day one I was really dehydrated from all the sitting and waiting for the power to come on. Seriously. I didn’t want to open the refrigerator or the freezer so instead I read, napped and just sat. Thankfully I keep a case of water in the garage. You will definitely want to keep water on hand too!
5. Pick up a Book
I did read a lot. I caught up on books I had partially read, books I wanted to read, magazines I had tossed aside, and essays that I had flagged for a future time. I was more sporadic in my reading and journaling. I just knew not to turn on my phone and wear down the battery. So it was such a refreshing break to read an actual book I held in my hands. Yes, I am old school - I highly recommend tactile reading and journaling!
6. Be Prepared
Thank goodness I have been purging and cleaning (more on that in a future blog). I purchased these camping lanterns in 2020. While we no longer have 4 (I have no idea where one escaped), these three were life saving! They run on batteries, they are bright and help to illuminate the bathroom, the hall, walking Arnie at night, etc. I highly recommend you have something like this on hand! They were so much easier to use than a flashlight turned upward.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NPLSZF8/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Also, I know I know, our parents likely told us to keep batteries on hand. That seems like such sage advice. Thankfully we did have batteries on hand. The above lanterns were four years old so they needed a little juice if you know what I mean.
7. Count Your Blessings
I spent the first few hours of the first day in the closet. We had tornado sirens going off and no power. And while there might not have been an actual funnel cloud, we did sustain high intense winds that wreaked havoc on our neighborhood and golf course. It was devastating to see our tree limbs down and the yards full of debris. The weather was unusually cool and it was quiet as you walked through the neighborhood. We had some damage to the roof and our patio furniture ended up in a heap. I walked down our street and counted our blessings. Our neighbors had lost huge mature trees that just toppled over. Several friends had trees to fall on their roofs. And our neighbors were out helping to clean and cut up limbs for each other. With rains in the forecast for the next few days it was time to help those in need and help fast!
8. Put Away Your Phone
Almost instinctively I knew to stay off my phone. Perhaps you might find yourself playing solitaire or scrolling social media when you are just sitting idly by waiting for the power to come back on; not me. I didn’t want to drain my phone. After the first night you realize you take for granted the ability to charge your apple watch, iphone and oura ring. OOPS – time to charge. So I went to a local grocery store to plug in my phone and to charge a portable charger to use in dire cases. If you do not have a portable charger or like me if it was tucked away (uncharged) go plug it in and charge it. You never know when you will need it.
9. Prioritize Quiet Time
Lastly, going without power for over 100 hours is hard. You also learn a lot about yourself in the quiet time. When was the last time you read, journaled, walked, and sat in silence? When was the last time you were still? I don’t recommend waiting until the power goes out to try some of these for yourself.
Your Mindset
Sure I could have adopted the mindset that no power sucks. Don’t get me wrong, when our neighbors across the street got power two days before we did it was hard. I was convinced that we would surely have power restored in a few hours and so I wasted time just waiting and waiting some more. I dreaded the refrigerator and freezer clean out - we would have to throw everything out; it had been too long.
Instead I pivoted and decided to laugh, smile and have fun. Having no power was not in my control. Guess what – the clean out was a breeze. We turned on music and danced and threw it all out. My refrigerator and freezer is cleaner than it was when we moved a year ago. I went ahead and cleaned the pantry out too. Why not start fresh!? Don’t wait for 100 hours to make changes in your home.
In case we haven’t met, I’m Rebecca. a spunky, Jesus- loving entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and wine enthusiast on a mission to help go-getter women cultivate a happier and more fulfilling life by establishing healthy routines with sustainable, high quality food, beverages, and nutrition supplements. I want to help you live your best life! Here are a few ways to get started:
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