Between texts, emails, Facebook updates, tweet alerts, Instagram notices, Slack updates, and old-school phone calls our phones seem busier than I-5 before a Seahawks game. Information moves at such a rapid pace that simply keeping up can feel like a fulltime job. Can you even remember that last time you went a full 12 hours without checking-in?
Just search “the importance of unplugging” in your favorite search engine and you’ll see folks from Forbes to US News and everywhere in between reinforce the idea of taking a digital break. Even back In 2010, the University of Maryland asked 200 students to go on a 24-hour media fast. Students reported that they felt bored, disconnects, uncomfortable, and anxious.
The ability to be available 24/7 offers some serious advantages, especially for remote workers. Unfortunately, being powered up all-day, everyday can seriously harm everything from our professional productivity to our personal lives.
As hard as it is to do, we all need to disconnect from time to time. We need face-to-face time with our loved ones. We need fresh air and real-life experiences. We need to take some time away from the digital work world.
Which is why RWL Design is going dark during Thanksgiving. It’s not that we don’t love seeing just how amazing your turkey dinner looks. It’s simply that we want to fully enjoy our own.
And, we’ve found over the years that this “time away” makes us better at what we do. It allows us to return refreshed and inspired to finish the year, ready to spring into the next.
So spend some time with family and friends, go watch a movie, play a little xbox (yes, that’s technically plugged in, but hey, it’s relaxing), enjoy some coffee, and talk a walk if your weather isn’t too bad. You’ll feel much more ready for the holidays this year :)
We hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving.
