Your blackberry is set to buzz every time a new email appears in your inbox, your eyes are permanently red from scouring the web for that cheap cardigan you must have this fall, all while listening to your ipod with the TV muted in the next room. Let’s just face the fact that we are a society of plug-ins. The vast majority of people can’t (or won’t) exist without their 5,000 channel cable or god forbid their iphone or sidekick!  We are so plugged in we have a difficult time just sitting quiet and still. Sound familiar?

Last Sunday I had the opportunity to unplug for a day. It actually just so happened that I left my phone at home when we went to breakfast. After a killer veggie frittata the sun was shining so we headed to a park. Spreading out a blanket on the lawn we realized to our surprise that a free jazz festival was set up in the park. Stoked! I spent about three hours lounging under a tree’s shade, listening to a saxophone soloist, and people watching. For the first time in probably a few months I was completely void of all distractions and was forced to just sit and enjoy. Instant mood booster!

So here’s our challenge… Unplug one day a week. I know, I know…Mary won’t be able to get a hold of you when her boyfriend dumps her again, and you might miss some rerun you didn’t really need to waste your time watching in the first place. But what you’ll gain is priceless. Presence. Making yourself be alone in your head away from distractions is the first step to more mindful and joyous living. It brings us back to how simple things used to be. Our technology is great only until it hinders us from existing and enjoy every moment of life. Say hello to stress relief.

Experiment with a full or half day of separation from all or most of your technology and see what happens. Chances are you’ll have more time for things that really matter to you. You’ll be living in the now!

How do you unplug? Do you think you could go a week without the TV? Join me in the discussion!