If you're like me and your life pretty much consists of and depends on WIFI...

this blogpost might save you years of low energy and not knowing why you're feeling exhausted, tired, stressed out, and eventually burnt out.  

I deeply hope that you will take at least one of the described methods into serious consideration to implement into your daily routine and use this read as a reason (call it  destiny) to change your lifestyle.

Part 1 - Realization

I remember not realizing how unhealthy I was living for the longest time. I mean I was exercising every other day, eating clean, and working on my laptop or phone every other minute of the day, until I fell asleep, woke up and repeat. 

In my eyes I was doing everything right, but soon my body would prove me wrong. I was lacking energy during the day and I developed a sleep disorder, because my mind couldn't stop working, like a battery that's overcharged. Luckily I have a strong intuition that gives me hints of what could be wrong, and what I need to be doing instead. 

One night when I once again couldn't fall asleep I got out of bed, took my laptop, phone and even TV out of my bedroom and went back to sleep. I took a deep breath, felt a huge relief and finally could fall asleep.

This is a true story and also not too long ago. The next morning I woke up and my hand automatically wandered to the left side of my bed where I usually place my phone. I realized that I put all technology out of my room and it somehow felt good. I knew I could get up now, get my phone and continue as I normally would, or I could stay in bed, grab that book I haven't finished reading and not turn on any device as the first thing in the morning. 

After I read a few chapters, I made coffee, drank my coffee whilst looking out the window, then got ready and turned on my phone right before leaving the house. One realization, a small change, that led to a better life.

As much as I'm an internet advocate and excited about the future in the digital space, because it has created new forms of freedom and opportunity like never before, I am aware that it is only great as long it is used in limits and accessed by responsible people. Just like with alcohol or sweets, if consumed occasionally  you won't endanger your health, but if now and turns into a habit, it is more likely to turn into an addiction over time. 

With anything you do EVER, make sure you do it with intention.

I truly feel that it is just as important to compensate for the time we spend online, by consciously taking time out of your day to reconnect with reality, your senses, your surrounding and completely recharge your mind, soul and body. 

For many people it has become a serious addiction to be connected at all times. If you fear to turn your phone off, have your notifications turned on throughout the day and night and the first and last thing before your go to or get out of bed is check your e-mails/social media etc. what once was a "bad habit" is likely to have turned into an unhealthy addiction.

The fear of missing out

is strongly related to the information overload we are experiencing. Thanks to Facebook's new algorithm, every time you refresh your feed you see new content. Social media, the internet never takes a break. You can refresh the coinmarketcap page every second to see how your investments are doing, you can check your e-mails every 5 minutes, react to every notification you're getting and before you know it, you don't just feel anxious all the time and increasingly nervous, unfocused and exhausted, but your life will slowly loose control over what determines your life!!... 

YOUR ATTENTION!

To unplug yourself, or disconnect from technology serves no other purpose than enhancing your:

• energy
• focus
• productivity
•  mood
• inner peace
• attitude/approach

... which isn't only good for your health and personal life, but for your work life and any other area as well. 

Don't wait until your PC is overloaded with information, not functioning properly any longer until you have no other choice, but shut it off and give it a restart (resulting in the possible loss of information). Instead, be on the safe side and give your PC breaks even when it's working fine, to prevent future collapses. Yes, I'm referring to your body as a PC, a machine which it is.

YOU MAY HAVE A FRESH START ANYTIME YOU CHOOSE TO!

Part 2 - Digital Diet for Digital Entrepreneurs

Diets are horrible and I hate them, but I promise this diet is different. It will free you. You’ll feel reborn, less stressed, and your body will thank you as well.

The digital diet isn't just meant for digital entrepreneurs, who's job is to be online, but also if not especially for those who have developed the bad habit of mindlessly surfing the Web, scrolling through their Facebook feed, checking their likes on social media... this bad habit is one of the most senseless habits ever when you think about it.  You consume, consume, consume and before you know it two hours went by and the R.O.I you're left with = 0!

Now two hours might not sound horrible, but if you do the math, the cost of that habit is insane. 

Over the course of a year, the time you're wasting adds up to about 30 days, that's an entire month of NOTHING.

Think about all that you could have accomplished in that time....

You stop a bad habit, by breaking the pattern. 

Here are my 5 ways how to UNPLUG YOURSELF and RECONNECT

1. Reconnect with nature

PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN, GO OUTSIDE, AND LOOK AROUND

Practice becoming consciously aware of your present environment... sights, sounds, odors. This practice is one I like when I'm feeling stuck on a problem, or I feel stressed out. We all have a creative mechanism that works passively, gives us all the answers and finds solutions when we stop consciously looking for it and nature has this magical grounding peace that can immediately calm us down and spark our creativity. I guess watching the "flow" of water is one of my faves that leads to an instant flow of ideas and effortless solutions. 

This exercise is most efficient when used in breaking a pattern. If you're for example a developer and you've been coding for 3 hours, get up and go outside. Even if you don't feel like it (that's the hard part). 

Top comment from @jamesbrown

One of my most effective routines to bring peace to my mind is to walk through a forest while testing myself on how present I can be in the process. I usually start out with a very busy (anxious) mind, but after only a few minutes of challenging myself to be present, I'll notice that all my senses start to heighten and I'm able to focus in on one sense in far more detail than normal.I normally don't seem to notice aromas and that's partially because I'm usually so focused on solving perceived problems in my head (engaged in thoughts) that I give it no attention, but when I become present in this way I notice that not only can I detect them, but I can even distinguish subtle nuances between different smells (originating from me, trees, flowers, etc.).But the part that fascinates me most is how many details I pick up visually that I always seem to miss when I'm "stuck in my head" and how vibrant colors appear when my sight is heightened. The effects are almost like a drug to me. I'll experience moments of no thought, where I absolutely lose my sense of self, and in those moments I feel pure joy and whatever I'm attentive to in that moment appears to me as pure beauty, no matter what or WHO it is. 

2. Reconnect with yourself 

To do this all you need to do is use your senses. The simplest and fastest way to go from stress to inner peace immediately is via the well known technique, known as conscious breathing. Place your hand on your stomach and feel yourself inhaling and exhaling. Then in your mind go through and thank your different body parts for being there... your from your spine, that's been supporting you for all those years, to your feet carrying you wherever you go. This exercise again is extremely effective when used as a breaking pattern method (when you realize you were about to mindlessly check your e-mail for the fifth time today) and requires nothing but your imagination. Feel the moment, close your eyes and think about what you're going to do next before actually doing it. Then open your eyes and get back to work.

3. Conscious Meals

When you eat, breakfast, lunch or dinner do not multitask! This is more a new habit you should develop, than an exercise, but crucial when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. We all have to eat at some point in a day, so if you write down the association meal = no devices, then you have no other choice but be reminded at least twice a day, to unplug and reconnect with reality and yourself. Also your stomach will thank you a lot!

4. Morning & Night Routine

When was the last time you woke up and didn't look at your phone or laptop the first hour, and when was the last time you went to bed without your phone? ... If you try this challenge, even if it's just to prove to yourself that your devices don't control your life, your morning and night routine alone can change your entire life. How you start your day is essential and it is scientifically proven that the first hour you're awake sets the direction for the day, your mood, energy, productivity and overall happiness. 

Spend the first hour doing instead of consuming! 

This could be doing yoga exercises, going through and mentally preparing for the day, listening to music while consciously breathing... experiment and find out what it is you need to set yourself up for a great day. 

Plan your day, that the last 30min- an hour before going to bed, you shut off your devices and read a book instead of scrolling through your phone. You could take a bath or meditate, but do something for your soul to ensure a good night sleep.

5. Set boundaries

If you don't have a plan, it will be much harder to maintain a healthy digital diet longterm. In order to stay consistent on your digital diet, you need to establish limits, meaning exact times when you check your notifications, e-mails and texts, and never have your alerts turned on.!The way you gain back the control over your time is by setting your own times, when to check what, be where, work on what and how many hours a day you spend offline to recharge your mind, body and soul. 

How many hours a day do you spend ON and how many OFFLINE?

Much love,

- Mrs.Steemit✨