One of my favorite sabbath practices is to take a break from technology and unplug. After a long week, I was itching to get away from the city, get outside, and more than anything, get away from cell-service. Call me crazy, but I love when I don't have service because it creates a natural boundary with my phone and technology. I'll give the important people a heads up that I'll be unavailable, and then I escape to the great outdoors.
I'm super lucky that I have a husband who is equally as adventurous, and eager to get outside with me. We packed up the car and took our pup despite all the warnings of rainy weather, and spent the weekend outside in East Tennessee.
It rained a little, but it was manageable, and so worth it! My husband is the master of packing and taking care of the details when it comes to camping, he even does the grocery shopping before we go. Imagine the smell of sunscreen, bug spray, and sweat combined and then you're practically there with us.
As a writer, a lot of what I do involves being close to a screen. Here's a confession: as much as I adore the work I do and love connecting with people on social media, writing my heart out in the newsletter, and collaborating on projects over google drive, it's such a relief to just stop sometimes. Sometimes, I need to focus back on the people around me, the ground beneath my feet, and take a look around this gorgeous world we get to call home.
Why You Should Get Outside and Unplug:
1. It Helps to Refocus
I had a lot going on the week before we went on our camping trip. My schedule was stuffed and overflowing, I felt disorganized, a little lost, and incredibly scatter brained. Hitting pause on all of the notifications popping up, all of the responsibilities and day to day stresses and just leaving it all behind to hike around in the woods and sleep on the ground is one of the best ways to refocus.
What really matters? What's really important? When you're camping without service or a way to check your email, you're suddenly able to ask those questions and shift your focus back to what it really needs to be on. Bye bye scatter brain, our time in the woods helped to remind us about what is the most important to us, and deserves our focus. We won't be easily distracted any longer!
2. It Provides Fresh Perspective
I know I'm not the only one who fixates on one particular problem, issue, or even person. Sometimes in our daily lives, with our regular routines, we just don't have the perspective we need to find a solution, or maybe even just be ok with the "problem" or circumstance we might be facing. When I get outside, I feel a fresh perspective settle in and provide a new way to look at the circumstance I might be facing. Sometimes, with all the distractions and responsibilities, I'm not able to see outside of the circumstance. For me, often all it takes is a night by a campfire reflecting on things from further away, and suddenly I have a new way of looking at things.
3. Rest is the Best
I am generally not a fan of rhyming, but this one was too easy. Rest is the best! Honestly, it is. If you're like me and your preferred rest is still pretty action packed and full, then I highly recommend making a regular practice of camping, hiking, and getting outside. I'm the worst at sitting still, and taking naps is borderline impossible for me. I've been fidgeting for as long as I can remember and restless could be my middle name. But we all need rest, and we all need a way to relax and take a step back. I've found my feet can be moving up a mountain and my mind and spirit can be completely at rest. Rest is the best! And for me, the best rest is when my body is tired but my spirit is well rested and ready for what is next.
