Why you should unplug during stressful times

Yesterday, Abbie reminded Team HMA to be kind to ourselves in the days following the election and shared that she would be limiting her social media use the next few days to give herself a mental break.

While all eyes are on the election right now, we can’t ignore that 2020 has been a challenging year beyond the election with COVID-19 and racial injustices. I think many of us would benefit from following in Abbie’s footsteps.

As PR professionals, we spend a significant amount of time on social media beyond our personal use. In a year like 2020, most of us have probably found ourselves doubling our screen time without realizing it (I know that I have, thanks to my iPhone for reminding me how many hours I spend on social media each week.)

In recent weeks and as we head into the holiday season, I have begun making more of a conscious effort to unplug when I can for a mental break. Here are some tips that may help you unplug:

• Try to get in some type of physical activity even it is just a quick walk around your neighborhood or a YouTube home workout.
• Set boundaries of times when you won’t use your phone or other technology such as in your bedroom during bedtime, while spending time with family and friends or during lunch or dinner.
• Instead of spending time on social media, begin reading that new book you’ve been talking about all year (we all have one), experiment with a new recipe in the kitchen, or try committing a random act of kindness.
• Lastly, challenge yourself to unplug completely for an entire day once a week.

As we head into the last couple months of the year, I think we can all remember Abbie’s advice to “be kind to ourselves” and to one another.