It’s the holidays. It’s time to enjoy time with your family, rejuvenate with some time off from work, and be thankful. It’s a time to look ahead to the New Year and all that it can be for you. It’s a time to set goals, go skiing, sleep in, eat lots, and be merry.
So put your phone away. Seriously. Unplug for these special days. If this will send you into convulsions, then block out two 30-minute chunks of time that day where you get your “fix” of Constantly Negative News (CNN), or liking everyone else’s life on Facebook.
Whether it’s Hanukkah, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or New Year’s…the “friends” on Facebook are not as important as your friends and family sitting with you physically to enjoy the holidays.
Put your phone up in the cupboard out of site. Set a “phone” basket by the front door so that when people come over, they drop the phone in the basket and are not tempted to focus on a world of people or news that is not right in front of them.
It’s not easy. I struggle with this daily myself. But I plan to do better this month and be present with my kids, my wife, my family, and my friends. If I’m sitting in a room with them, staring at my smart phone, I’m telling them that they aren’t very interesting and that I have to go elsewhere to be entertained. While that may be the case with some family members, try being interested.
Happy Holidays and New Year!
