When was the last time you really unplugged from technology? Ever feel like you have too many tabs open and your brain is turning to mush? We’ve all been there. Before you grab that pumpkin spice latte and welcome sweater weather in front of multiple screens, consider disconnecting to reconnect.

I spent the last few weeks, virtually disconnected from social media. It felt freeing.

I was less stressed and fully engaged with those around me. I had time to daydream and brainstorm.

I worried less about taking a picture to post. Instead, I was truly living in the moment.

During the time I was disconnected from technology, I reconnected with friends and family I missed during lockdown. It reminded me of what’s really important and to be fully present.

I didn’t check everything off my summer bucket list, but I came close. I had more time for impromptu activities, exploring nature and making memories that will last a lifetime.

I rode the Ferris wheel with my dad for the first time since I was a kid. I embraced the solitude of snipping the last few blooms of summer from my garden and already prepared the flowerbeds for a long winters nap. Before that first frost, I’ve planned a few road trips to catch the fall colors at their peak in the Midwest. Stay tuned for those stories coming up soon.

Social media can be addicting. Since launching Zabelicious Life, I’ve been struggling to find the right balance. It’s tempting not to check a text, or a feed to see what your favorite friends or “influencers” are up to. Trust, me, I’ve gone down that rabbit hole before, then regretted the precious time I wasted.

Try taking a break once in a while, or at least set limits for yourself. I’ve made a renewed commitment to wellness this fall that includes less screen time.

Here are 10 tips to help you disconnect and reconnect:

• Wake up to an old school alarm clock, rather than your phone

• Choose a mantra to begin and end your day with meditation

• Practice gratitude in a daily journal

• Start and/or end your day with yoga

• Workout before checking emails, texts or feeds

• Trade TV time for a walk with a friend

• Send a handwritten note instead of a text or email

• Silence your phone at least an hour before bedtime

• Quiet your mind with a hot bath or a good book before bed

• Consider setting your intention for the next day before going to sleep

Ready, Set, Disconnect!

Once you adopt any of these practices, maybe you’ll be ready to take the bold move to disconnect for an entire day, a weekend or more? Give it a try. You’ll be amazed at how refreshed and reconnected you become with yourself, others and the world around you. Consider it a mini-retreat for yourself.

Discover More Useful Tips

Looking to dig deeper on the topics of meditation, gratitude and journaling? Discover more useful tips on my “Journal It” pages in past stories, “Meditate. Balance. Repeat.” “Find Your Way to A Grateful Heart” and “Why Journal?”

Feedback Welcome

How do you disconnect to reconnect? Or how do you struggle to disconnect? Share your ideas in the comments below, on our social media pages, or keep it private and “Journal It!”