Addicted to the Screen

You’d rather live life than watch it on TV, thank you very much. Even though you’re doing a wonderful job of screening your screen time (ba dum dum), what would you say to consciously giving yourself a little break from technology? Introducing the blackout night!

You might find yourself a little glued to your gadgets, so now is the time to make that first step to keep your bad habits in check, and replace them with some new ones (that’ll better your whole life). Introducing the blackout night!

Put. Down. The. Cell. Here’s the thing. We want you to start really living life. Not through your phone’s camera lens. Or a fictional character on TV. Or a YouTuber. Your life. We’ve got a challenge for you. It’ll only require one night a week, but we can guarantee you, it will change your life for the better. You game? Introducing the blackout night!

Blackout Night

Did you know the average person consumes about 12 hours of information every day via television, internet surfing, texting, music and games? That’s a pretty scary number, if you ask me. It’s pretty clear we’ve got an addiction to the screen. So here’s the deal. I’m not asking you to quit cold turkey. You don’t need to adopt the life of a woodland hermit. But I am asking you to disconnect for one night a week. One night. You make the rules. You pick the day. But here’s what you’re going to do. Put your cell on vibrate and out of reach. Turn off the TV. Shut down your computer. It’s time for blackout night.

Renew. Whether you seek out a quiet space in your backyard, a field, or by the water, spend some of your day being still. Forget your to do list and slow down to enjoy the outdoor spaces near your home. Really look at things. Really look at the leaves falling from the trees outside. Look at their vibrancy. Look at how the last moments of sunlight shimmer through the trees. Take a gander at your surroundings and be grateful.

Get wild. Feeling a little more energetic? Head on outside with your kids and have a dance party or play a game of tag. When old man winter visits, build a snowman or have a snowball fight!

Connect. Imagine what would happen if you actually got together with one of your Facebook friends. Grab a hot chocolate and head out on an evening stroll with an old friend from university. Or hit the bike path with your brother and gab about the good ol’ days.

Work up a sweat. There’s two ways to beat the cold – avoid ‘em or join ‘em. Opt for the latter and get your jog on to keep warm. After a few weeks, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start running ages ago!