Here’s a quick explanation for why every geek needs to unplug from time to time. I took some time last week to unplug from everything, get close to nature and just breathe. Have you tried that recently? Getting out into nature, looking at the blue sky through green trees, looking up into the night sky at the Milky Way. Very medicinal and relaxing.
This comes after two years of hard-core indoor-ness, something I usually would enjoy. Now I’m realizing that unplugging from the phone and social media have health benefits. It avoids the danger of addiction to our devices, to our social media. If you watch this video, you’ll understand how gaming and other electronic diversions create addiction through your brain’s dopamine response. Interesting and frightening all at the same time.
That’s not to say that video games aren’t awesome. I mean, come on. The main point I want you to take from this is: this is why every geek needs to unplug from time to time. On the third day, I felt my body let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. We all need to get away. It’s good for you.
So get outside, check out the stars. Breathe some fresh air. Get dirty. Swim in a lake. Build a campfire and read a book. Those things aren’t a distraction, they’re refreshing. Just like your monitor and TV, human beings have a refresh rate. Tune into that. Get curious about the universe. You’ll find the experience very rewarding.