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Wonderfull Living Newsletter 5th September 2015

The number One reason to unplug on a regular basis!

Hi Everyone

Welcome to spring – my favourite season. A time when we can shed our winter woollies and start to feel a little lighter. It’s a good time to let go of any heavy feelings we may have been dragging around during the cold season and also a good time to unplug.

I recently spent a bit of time in the city – I was thoroughly amazed and entertained by the many forms of electronic gadgets and devices, sprouting from the ears and finger tips of thousands of commuters. All heads were firmly faced down and presenteeism was experienced at it’s peak. With so many people in such close proximity of each other with little to no connection, it was rather interesting to observe. It served to remind me of the importance of regularly unplugging from the world of technology and fast internet connections, that give us the illusion of being in control of our lives. Yet the opposite couldn’t be more true. The more we connect with technology the more we disconnect from ourselves and each other – and in reality, the less control we actually have. And the more we rely on these gadgets for instantaneous ‘connection’ the more stealthily stressful our lives become. iPhones, iPads, iPods, iMacs, iReaders, i… i… i… just to name a few. Any wonder a culture of misplaced ‘entitlement’ is growing fast. Oh how cleverly subtle the marketing! Meanwhile we slowly but surely lose touch with our individual true self – the real ‘I’.

From a spiritual viewpoint, depression is the grieving of the loss of our true identity. And with stress being the number one cause for many illnesses and disease, unplugging from the external world and plugging into our inner spiritual self, has never been more needed. This is the number one reason why we need to practice regular unplugging, if we wish to truly take back our power. To be more present in our life we need to learn to ‘switch off’ in order to ‘switch on’ – to regularly recharge. No matter how much we need light, if our torch is not recharged it simply will not shine. So to be more powerful we need to first learn to be more peaceful and practical – and to do that we need to regularly turn away from all the distractions and gadgets and simply learn to turn within.

Living on the road, we often stay in areas where there is little or no reception. Though it can be challenging, particularly since we still need to earn an income – which these days is largely run via computer. Nevertheless, I do find it rather refreshing because there’s nothing we can do about it and whatever is so ‘urgent’ it just simply has to wait. It’s great practice because it reminds us to turn inward while appreciating our surroundings – breaking any electronic dependencies and addictions. It helps us to practice letting things go and letting things flow. It enables us to unplug while we plug in to what really matters – our inner wellbeing. It keeps us focused, clear and truly content. The more I create the habit of turning inwards, the quicker I learn to recharge and define myself from the inside out.

Question: How often do I unplug? Why might I have difficulty in unplugging?

Contemplation: What am I afraid of that I might miss out on if I unplug for a while?

Action: Here’s just a small thing you can do to start unplugging. Get into the habit of not keeping any electronic gadgets in your bedroom and certainly do not go to sleep with your phone next to your head. The invisible vibrations can actually interfere with a good night sleep, and interfere with our health and wellbeing in general. Better still, switch off all gadgets or keep them on the charger – away from your bedroom.

Happy unplugging, love Annemarie

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