For many people, work is entirely or at least majorly oriented around laptop or desktop use. From there, people come home and catch up with their latest favorite television show, or spend time talking to their loved ones through messages. They read news through their devices, and may even order out using tablets integrated into tables.
There’s nothing wrong with this, but after a little while, it’s easy to get tired of this virtual perception, and desire, above all, tangible reality once more. Never fear, for this reason we’re going to discuss how to detach screen time from your schedule this year. Let’s get started:
Engage With In-Person Events
There are so many excellent events going on this year, from the TAP New York festival at Bethel Woods, to your local folk festival, to the art festivals that run year-round from your local heritage institution. It can be nice to detach from visual representations of life and head into experiences that remind you what it’s like to be front-and-center among crowds, or in seeing well-curated shows, or spending time learning in proximity to those teaching.
Even something as simple as attending a free public talk, or heading to support the marathon runners in your local town can be helpful. If you hope to become engaged in the civic activities of your local area, you might decide to attend political talks, or even get involved in local canvassing. Over time, this can help you feel more connected with the initiatives taking place around you, as opposed to feeling influenced by them. Of course, going out to have fun is just as valid, too.
Be A Patron Of Local Arts
There are so many good television shows and films coming out all of the time, but it’s so easy to feel tired of this “content” the more you try to keep up with it. Any Star Wars fan knows that keeping up with the latest shows and films can feel like a part-time job, and trying to keep up with two franchises is just as difficult.
Art and entertainment shouldn’t feel like a chore, which is why it can be good to detach from that now and again. Instead, consider becoming a patron of your local art scene, be that attending local band shows, or enjoying theatre visits - both deserve and really do need your support. Having that direct connection to artists and stories near you, that relate to you, and help you understand something about yourself can feel so much more rewarding than moving through a Disney Plus show as quickly as you can to get atop it all. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with liking television shows of course, but if you’re tired of that constant pressure, it’s nice to have an alternative.
Focus On Your Own Creative Hobbies
Journaling, painting, pottery, even developing a home gym are all examples of priorities that help you feel engaged with an invested effort that pays dividends. Screen time can be fun, but it’s often lost time where you receive nothing back, and that can be tiresome if multiplied over time.
Focusing on your own creative hobbies, even if that just means getting started with poetry, or writing pulpy crime novels, can be tremendously exciting and helps you invest a little bit of yourself in an art form you’ve come to appreciate. Who knows - perhaps you’ll be the one writing those television shows in future!
Get Back Into Reading
People are reading less than ever, which is a real shame. There are so many excellent books out there, from pulpy romance novels to deep philosophical treatises to the entire gamut of wonderful classic literature you can read, often translated from around the world.
Why not try something you’ve never had the pleasure of enjoying before, such as learning about Greek mythology, or even listening to an audiobook as you do your laundry or clean at the weekend? Getting back into reading can help you feel more energized, not less, and will help you learn about topics you’re interested in.
With this advice, you’re sure to detach screen time from your schedule in the best possible way. In the long run, this might help you prosper anew.
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