(Photo Credit: http://pattyfroese.com/?attachment_id=613)

I couldn’t sleep at all last night. I laid there with my eyes closed trying to convince my body to relax and fall asleep, but it was useless because my brain was working over time. So finally I conceded, and opened my eyes to an overly bright glowing digital clock that read 3:15am. Ugh.

As I laid there looking around the room, I was surprised to see how many different colored lights were glowing from our electronics. The clock, DVD player, smoke alarm and even my electric toothbrush were all emitting a colored light. I wandered into the living room and it too was lit up like a Christmas tree—the oven, microwave, stereo, ice maker and power outlet strips were all glowing blue or red.

Not sure what to do with myself now that I was up, I wandered over to my charging cell phone to see if I had any emails. (Or as I like to refer to it, “to see if anyone loves me.”) As I hit the on button the phone blazed to life with a blinding light. Through my squinting I could see that I didn’t have anything new in my Inbox. I thought at least Groupon would have sent me something, but I guess they too were asleep like the rest of the world. Bastards.

After being blinded by my phone, I staggered back to bed hoping Mr. Sandman would bring me a dream. Instead, I laid there contemplating whether or not all this technology that we hold so dear is really such a good thing after all. I definitely see the benefits, but it also has its drawbacks. Computers and cell phones have made our jobs more efficient and faster, which should have freed up time in our day for other more pleasurable activities like spending time with our loved ones. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, because as a society we have decided that it is more important to fill up that time with more work, more deadlines and more stress. The ratio seems to be somewhere around 1:5—for every 1 extra hour you gain for being so efficient via technology, you are given 5 more hours of work to do within the same work day. It is sad that this is the new norm, and it is unlikely to change any time soon.

I had read an article some time back talking about how during the turn of the 20th century women were rushing to healing spas in droves complaining of anxiety and hysteria (i.e. “the vapors”) brought on by the fast-paced change in technology. Just to put this in perspective, we began the 20th century with the infancy of airplanes, automobiles, and radio. We ended the 20th century with spaceships, computers, cell phones, and the wireless Internet. Technology has definitely sped up considerably.

I think I’m having a case of “the vapors” now, and since my luxurious lifestyle will not allow me to spend a year at the spa to quiet my mind, I’ve had to come up with my own relaxing healing plan. It begins with turning off the electronics for a set amount of time each day and maybe having a candlelight-only evening once in a while. When the opportunity presents itself, I also want to go camping. There is an amazing place called the Forest Retreat in Mississippi. It is a vast area filled with trees, nature and 4 cabins built within the landscape far apart from each other. No tvs. No radios. No wi-fi.

(Photo Credit: ForestRetreat.com)

I could sit on the porch and write with pen on paper for hours. Take a break, and wade barefoot through the creek with my husband and dog. Roast marshmallows over an open fire while listening to a strumming guitar. (If one of us ever decides to learn to play.) Ahhh… The thought of the wind rustling in the trees, the clear starry nights and the crickets chirping is enough to lull me to sleep.

Until the alarm blasts in the morning.

It’s definitely time to get unplugged.