I took 24 hours offline from Friday at sundown through Saturday at sunset. I didn’t use my phone, I didn’t text, I didn’t log onto a computer, and all the while I didn’t enter a single network. I didn’t blog, tweet, Facebook, or LinkIn. I was genuinely unplugged without entering the wilderness. I was at home in Seattle devoid of my devices on my second annual digital sabbath.
I went shopping for a friend’s birthday gift by myself, the quiet liberating. I went to a baby shower, I played baseball with the boys outside, I cleaned up the back yard. And while the sun shone in Seattle on Saturday afternoon, F and I cuddled on the driveway. We laid down on the pavement and looked up at the sky. We didn’t talk much and even with the paucity of words, the moment takes up a big part of my long-term memory. Little F returned twice to join me on that hard surface, grabbing for my hand amidst the concrete. Presence is very soft no matter how hard the earth below you.
No beeps, dings, or directories distracted. It was a day much slower than the rest.
The lesson is simple of course. Twenty four hours without distraction are exceptionally bright. The loss from being disconnected online is overwhelmingly surpassed by the gains acquired with being present offline. And although it’s easy for many of you, this unplugged time is an utter luxury for me in the time of exceptional connectivity and work online.
There’s nothing I would do to reverse my time offline. It was rich and it’s solidified the need to establish a new goal to make time for a more frequent digital sabbatical. I want to seek solace routinely from the deluge of content, information, exceptional wisdom, and friendship I gain while online and return to the spaces without distraction that house the same things.
Join me? Will you take earnest 24-hour periods of time without technology, too? Do you think your kids will notice?
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Carly Thurman says
This sounds devine! I might have to try that this weekend. I’ve done this once before and you don’t even realize how much you rely on technology until you don’t have it.
Wendy Sue Swanson, MD says
Carly, do it! Tell us how it goes.
Susannah Fox says
Love that you did this! I do this from time to time and find it similarly restful, even inspiring.
Have you read any of Anne Lamott’s books? I think it was in Operating Instructions, when she was considering circumcision for her son that she wrote, “Jews know things.” Meaning: when in doubt, do what Jews do — in the current case, shut down all electronics from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. Results may vary, exceptions apply, etc 🙂
Wendy Sue Swanson, MD says
Susannah,
I have read Operating Instructions (prior to having kids) and I love the quote you include. We can learn a lot from each other, yes? There is a temple very near our home and I see many families walking on Friday evening and throughout Saturday–devoid of devices! Although their lives are far from simple, I love to witness their weekly slowdown. I love to think of those moments are more “simple.”
The perfect religion (for me) would be one that allows for beautiful, thoughtful pieces of all of the different traditions that surround me. A quilt of sorts. The pragmatist lives on in me…
Katie says
The company I work for is based in Denmark and they have a rule that NO emails are to be sent after 5 PM on Friday or before 6 AM Monday. This applies to everyone in the company, from the president on down to me. We also get a week off at Christmas where they shut the servers down, so when you return from the holiday, you will not have one new email littering your inbox.
This policy is freeing and helps me to maintain a really effective work-life balance. I know that, as a pediatrician, you have to be more connected and available to your patients (my children and I have personally benefited from your dedication), but I hope you are able to rotate your on call schedule so that you can have more weekends like this.
Your children may not even realize how much they also treasure those times with you, but they will feel and know the difference in having your complete, undivided attention. And you work so hard so many hours of the week, you DESERVE time off. As the mother of two (soon three!) Of your patients, I am fully supportive of you taking the time to focus on your family. Being the wonderful mother you are is a HUGE part of making you the incredible physician you are!