My version of the screen-free day, with me, my Self, my thoughts and my goals.

I have been trying something new. And I am loving it so much that I want to share my idea.

Disclaimer: I am perpetually on a mission to enhance my experience of my life. Auto-pilot is not my preferred default.

My recent experiment is with one screen-free day a week.

What?!??!?

I have decided to turn off all my screens for one day a week.

Why?

Because I want to create more than I consume. I want to use technology as a vessel to add value to the world rather than only be a consumer.

I believe that the way for me to live my meaningful life is for me to be a contributor to the world, to create what may be useful to others and that the way to do this is by tapping into my internal wisdom and using my own mind to create value for the world.

Again, Why?

One day a week with no screen input into my brain.

One day to process whatever it may need to process from the previous week: unwind, dump out, ingest, rest or create.

One day to be a little bored.

One day where I listen to my brain, the thoughts in my mind, instead of consuming information or other’s ideas.

How:

So far my screen-free day looks like…

I perceive my screen-free day as a date with my Self.

I move slowly and deliberately. I talk to my Self a lot, I sing, I dance and I ask my Self questions.

I wander for a long walk; listening to both nature and my mind’s thoughts.

I jot down bright ideas that pop up (with pen and paper because I make a point to put it in my pocket.)

I stretch, I sip tea, I stare at the sky and I lay in the grass or on the beach or in the dirt.

I do all the things that make me feel like I am living.

How did I decide to do this?

My thoughts and ideas that led to my decision.

In our pocket we have the tool to learn anything on a screen, connect with anyone around the world via video conference, and consume any entertainment instantaneously anytime. The option to always be engaged with our screen has become default.

Although, I love all the practically miraculous things that I can do with my phone or my computer… I also love my Self.

I have found that the most important relationship in my life is the relationship with my Self.

• I, like all humans, am wired for connection. When I am not connected with my Self it is practically impossible for me to connect with anyone else.

• I am the ONLY person who can make Me happy. Investing in connection with my Self, meeting my own needs, filling up my own cup IS how I connect to my true happiness.

• Me creating and adding value to the world gives me one of my ultimate feelings of contribution. Tapping into my internal wisdom, creating value and sharing is how I want to contribute to the world.

One of my most increasingly important ways for me to maintain my connection to my Self is by taking a screen-free day to be with me.

• To tune out the world and choose to tune into ME.

• To connect with my Self, my thoughts, my feelings, my truths, my goals, and my own internal world.

• To have and create my own thoughts.

• To think about my future that I want to create.

• To get clear on what it is that I want in my life.

EXCEPTIONS

I do look at my phone in order to turn on my music. (I prefer lyric-free music on my screen-free day).

I do check my phone if my man is away from me and we need to coordinate something. (If I can, I prefer to not do this.)

Screen Hygiene:

I have turned off most notifications on my phone so that when I do look at it my attention is not grabbed and diverted from what I intended to use my phone for. This is especially useful IF I do use my phone on my screen-free day.

My general mission when it comes to screens: intentionally ‘use them’ and do not let them use me.

Anyone else out there trying this out?

I did a quick search online and found that I am not the first person to do this, in fact, my ‘screen-free’ words are not even original… but what I did notice that was different than the top ten search results is that most people are simply ‘detoxing’ from their screen whereas I am using the screen-free day to intentionally connect with ME.