“A little to the left! More…more! Okay, that’s–nope. More to the left, again!” Atop their camping haven alongside the Kern River stood the fifth member of the grizzled crew, slowly adjusting a military grade antenna attached to a 20 foot pole. As the other four men waved and shouted, the man on the roof waved the pole high over the edge of the RV in a determined attempt to score more than one bar of Internet reception. All their “hard work” actually garnered incredulous stares from two women walking past to their own tent.
Why five techno-weenies thought fishing in the middle of reception hell would be a good idea, I’ll never know. I mean, these are guys whose idea of a good time is getting together with their pimped-up laptops and playing World of Warcraft in a Silicon Valley living room. Luddites they are not, I assure you. All I could think was why couldn’t my husband just fish like other guys and leave the darn gadgets at home?
Don’t get me wrong. I love my computer. No, really. I love it. Even when I have no freaking idea how to do what I want to do with this contraption, I sometimes sit back and scratch my head in wonder that I live in the Age of Amazing Devices.
Or maybe it should be called Amazing Device Distraction.
After all, we’ve lost the ability to pay attention to details (like spelling–and this despite spell check!); we don’t listen when spoken to because we’ve got our faces absorbed in a screen of some sort; we don’t follow instructions carefully (teachers and people in human service jobs go bonkers when people don’t read directions on paperwork); we blurt out answers like we’re rushing to win a game show; and we can’t take turns either. (Come on, be honest. Did you keep someone from merging into your lane on the freeway today because you couldn’t stand the thought of one more car in front of you in traffic?) These are all common signs and symptoms of Device Distraction.
And it’s keeping us from chilling out.
We have so much information coming to us on a daily basis–both information we choose to accept (the news, a favorite video game, Facebook, or email) and information we’re bombarded with regardless of our level of interest (commercials, billboards, website ads, the ubiquitous sports game playing on a flat screen at just about every bar in town). Sometimes its information at work, or school; even the massive amounts of attention we give to driving in traffic each day can wear us down. And yet when we come home, we flip on the TV and/or our cell phones and/or our computers and we voluntarily bombard ourselves some more.
Many of us have forgotten how to mentally relax.
Here are 5 Suggestions for Giving Your Brain a Rest:
1. Put the smart phone down. And the TV controller, keyboard, and iPod. If you have to sit and wait for something, just sit. It’s actually good for your mind to wander. You know how you suddenly remember something important just as you’re falling asleep at night? Resting your mind gives you a chance to process all of the information that has been bombarding it throughout the day. It’s as important as letting your body relax. It’s healthy for children to be bored–it gets their brain juices flowing and helps them figure out what they really want to do. The same is true for adults. For a writer or great thinker, daydreaming can even open windows into a creative wonderland. So go ahead. Be bored. (Just don’t whine about it like my kids do, okay?)
2. Go outside. There is something very clarifying about being outdoors. My sister-in-law was having trouble writing something, so she put her work down and went for a walk. Halfway down the street, she figured out the answer to her problem. Human brains developed in response to environmental stimuli, not computers and televisions, which is why we “wake up” when we go outside. Besides, Americans are woefully vitamin D deficient–you need the sunshine, sister.
3. Write with pen and paper. Doodle during a phone meeting, leave a love note on your sweetie’s pillow, send a snail mail letter. Your wrists will thank you for not giving them carpal tunnel syndrome, your eyes will thank you for the break from screen lights, and your mind will focus differently.
4. Exercise. Moving your body gives some parts of your brain a rest and activates others. It pumps you full of endorphins, the happy-happy chemicals. It relaxes your body and helps you to sleep better. I could go on and on with the benefits, but suffice it to say, exercise is great for clearing your mind and helping you relax. One caveat: try not to exercise in front of a television.
5. Play! Okay, so whatever happened to recess? Somewhere around 7th grade, play time disappeared and many of us forgot how to have fun. (Maybe this is why our teenagers are so crazy?) There are loads of research studies on the importance of play for adults: it connects us to one another, helps us think creatively, reduces stress, and makes us laugh. (Check out this website for a really fantastic discussion on the benefits of play.) Besides, it’s just plain fun.
There are so many ways to reduce Device Distraction, but the first and foremost is to walk away from those devices for a while. Make time for them if you must, but be sure to also make time for a little non-electronic interaction.
Need one more justification? You’re using less electricity and potentially saving the world.
How do you mentally relax?
Share your suggestions in the comments. I’ll be back tomorrow to check in…I’m going to go settle in with a good book and a cup of tea.
There really is something wonderful about stopping to smell the roses Our failure to communicate other than thru texting has impacted every aspect of our lives. How sad.
There is nothing more important to our mental and emotional health that to reconnect with God, others and creation! While technology is pretty much standard equipment in this world, we must know when it’s time to lay them down and recharge.
Good post!
I was searching this type of topic.Because i wanted to know that
how can we give relief our mind.Its a really a great topic thanks for
that topic.Keep it up………….
Just what everyone needs! All the facets of truth in Angela’s work should be pasted in everyone fridge door, office desk, the PC monitor and on their rearview mirror. People tend to overuse their brain, and then hit a hard wall really hard when they get sick or just explode emotionally. And people have become too dependent on technological devices to lead them, inform them and tell them what to do next! It’s good I’ve discovered yoga and meditation before I became another zombie. Of course, I am thankful as well that I go biking or walking – without a direction or schedule. This way, I put no pressure on myself or my body and mind. I just walk, look at things, think, hum to myself, smile at people and do other things randomly. It’s so relieving!