Have you ever unplugged for a couple of weeks and noticed you were calmer and happier? (1 Viewer)

[Da Guru]

The last 2  months or so I have totally focused on my family, my health, my friends, my dogs, my job, the order might not be accurate.  Dogs deserve better.

In that time frame I have not  watched the news or much TV at all, I hardly go into the PSF here as it is a depressing, angry place that does draw me in. 

I don`t watch any cable news at all..ZERO!   This has been the best thing I have done in terms of clearing my mind and improving of sleep quality.

I do watch my local news to see what is going on in the area I might have a 1% of making a difference.

Peace and health to all my brothers here, do the best you can in day to day life to make a change...but life is too short to be angry all the time.  

 

[MAC_32]

I made a lot of similar changes throughout May and noticed improved quality of sleep and felt reduced stress levels. I've mostly sustained the same habits since. Not sure what I'll need to do if the kids are remote learning again, but I've been jotting down ideas. That was my tipping point in spring. 

 

[need2know]

I stopped with the cable news a long time ago.  One of the best things I have ever done 

 

[NutterButter]

the only night i watch cable news is in on election night;   rarely go into the psf.   is that the reason i'm so content with life?

 

[perbach]

Cable and the media in general is the biggest cause of the nation's problems.    Gave up on MSNBC and FOX about 11 years ago and CNN about 5 years ago and never looked back.    

Broke from Facebook and Twitter a couple months ago.   

 

[NutterButter]

Cable and the media in general is the biggest cause of the nation's problems.    Gave up on MSNBC and FOX about 11 years ago and CNN about 5 years ago and never looked back.    

Broke from Facebook and Twitter a couple months ago.   

Facebook is another one where if the majority of the stuff you post is just one-sided political nonsense, I'm unfollowing you.   I'm grateful that I never got into twitter.  

 

[snogger]

I normally go to my cousin's cabin in Canada twice a year. No phones, no internet, no TV for 7 to 10 days. Best times! 

We've talked many times about how WW3 could start and we'd have no idea.

Really feeling the affect this year of not being able to "unplug". :(

 

[FBG26]

We took a month vacation a few years back to hike in South America. After a week or so I truly relaxed like probably never before. 

Ditching cable news and Facebook is also helpful. Probly should ditch this place too, frankly, but I've definitely cut back on the PSF which helps. 

 

[kface]

It's amazing. Most of us don't even understand just how wound up we have become

 

[Pipes]

Haven't completely unplugged but have basically avoided all national news since early June.  Also just briefly scan twitter about once a week and basically stopped going into threads like the official covid thread.  Slipped a couple of times on that started typing and backed out.  I agree stress level has started to come down and it's refreshing.  I'll still peruse our local channels website in the am to see if I'm missing anything and catch the first 5 min and the weather forecast of our local channel but that's it.  No more CNN, FOX or getting into ifights.  Overal been much happier the last month that the first 6 months of 2020 combined.  I'm trying to cut back even more.

 

[Pipes]

Facebook is another one where if the majority of the stuff you post is just one-sided political nonsense, I'm unfollowing you.   I'm grateful that I never got into twitter.  

I can't completely quit Twitter.  It's great for sports fans as you can get info really fast on FA signings, injuries, recruiting for you favorite college team, etc.  The other nonsense can go.

 

[Pipes]

Honestly the PSF is a joke.  The extremists on both sides of the political spectrum are becoming more and more irritating by the day to the point I had to leave it.  And we have more and m more extremists every day.

 

[Ilov80s]

I quit for about 3 days but then I didn't know what to think about anything so I had to get plugged back in. 

 

[prosopis]

Yes

I stopped watching national news and most of local news following Sandy Hook. I had been toying with the idea after reading some of GK Chesterton thinking on it and it really made sense. When Covid came up and got real I again started watching the news. I am no better for it and probably worse for it. I am going back to my no news except local and that is sparingly. I was much better off that way.

I was very happy when the PSF was formed. I think I peaked at the topic page once and never went back. It is much better in the ffa since then.

 

[adonis]

Pulled out of social media, and that has been a huge benefit.  Pulled out of the PSF here, and that was a welcome change too.  It's not unplugging from technology as much as it is unplugging from technology that's not life-giving or uplifting at least a little.

 

[Da Guru]

Pulled out of social media, and that has been a huge benefit.  Pulled out of the PSF here, and that was a welcome change too.  It's not unplugging from technology as much as it is unplugging from technology that's not life-giving or uplifting at least a little.

Very true. I have slowly got away from FB over the last year.  I check it maybe once a week just to see if I have any messages. The PSF is a tough place as it is the same 20 guys going at it day in and day out and that is exhausting.  Getting away from CNN, FOX, MSNBC was the best thing I did.   I catch up on my local news stations a couple times a week and that is plenty.  The good thing about the local news stations is that they only have a 30 minute time slot twice a day so it makes it tough for them to beat a story to death.

I want to know what is going on but don`t want to watch it for the next 7 days 24-7.

 

[belljr]

The last 2  months or so I have totally focused on my family, my health, my friends, my dogs, my job, the order might not be accurate.  Dogs deserve better.

In that time frame I have not  watched the news or much TV at all, I hardly go into the PSF here as it is a depressing, angry place that does draw me in. 

I don`t watch any cable news at all..ZERO!   This has been the best thing I have done in terms of clearing my mind and improving of sleep quality.

I do watch my local news to see what is going on in the area I might have a 1% of making a difference.

Peace and health to all my brothers here, do the best you can in day to day life to make a change...but life is too short to be angry all the time.  

It's how I live pretty much my entire life.  Recently I dip in here an there but before the past couple of months I never watch the news.

What do they call it blissfully oblivious?  That was me for a long time

 

[E Street Brat]

Its all just a bag of bricks.....

All ya gotta do is set it down

 

[El Floppo]

Pulled out of social media, and that has been a huge benefit.  Pulled out of the PSF here, and that was a welcome change too.  It's not unplugging from technology as much as it is unplugging from technology that's not life-giving or uplifting at least a little.

This is how I deal with it too.

I'm at a point where I'm thinking about getting back into social media (been a couple years) as a way of reconnecting with the friends I actually care about, especially having been holed up during the pandemic.

 

[El Floppo]

When hurricane Sandy knocked our power out for most of a week, we were without phones, internet or tv for that time...ended up a really nice vacation from all of that. Realized how much we as a family were too tuned into our devices.

Of course the pandemic has pushed us way back into that world out of necessity...but will need some recovery once things open back up away from all this virtual interaction.

 

[wikkidpissah]

always been the least-connected person i know. went internet-free for a few years when i moved to VT in '13; never had a fb or twitter membership (this here is my soc), havent intentionally watched a news channel except for breaking news since the Fox/CNN competition began; was given a smartphone a coupla years ago said nuh-uh after a month of hookup. just me & homies in my head *walks away singing "Me & My Flashbacks"*

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I was very happy when the PSF was formed. I think I peaked at the topic page once and never went back. It is much better in the ffa since then.

I stopped coming to the FFA long ago because it had gotten so political, and only returned when the PSF was created. I have never gone there and never will.

When we go on a cruise, I enjoy being able to shut off my phone and having no connection to the outside world. Though we will watch TV in the cabin (not news). 

 

[caustic]

  Last year, a team of social scientists from Stanford published a study about the effects of quitting Facebook. They found that while people became somewhat less informed, they also became less politically polarized, happier, and ended up spending more time with friends and family. I think that's a good tradeoff.

 

[Gally]

Honestly the PSF is a joke.  The extremists on both sides of the political spectrum are becoming more and more irritating by the day to the point I had to leave it.  And we have more and m more extremists every day.

I think you captured the problem with our a country in two sentences......

 

[nirad3]

Don't watch any cable news at all, unless you count ESPN.  

Don't ever venture into the PSF.  I am completely moderate, and the swinging from the extremes would just drive me nuts.  I get enough of that on Facebook.

Speaking of FB, I typically scroll past anything political, and if I notice any of my "friends" posting nothing but political BS, I give them a timeout.  In some cases I've just de-friended if we weren't already that good of friends to begin with.  

My anxiety is at an all-time high as it is... I could only imagine how much worse it'd be if I gave in and started "leaning" a certain way and was all into cable news and the PSF.  No thanks.

 

[AAABatteries]

How will I know what to be outraged about?

 

[prosopis]

How will I know what to be outraged about?

Exactly!!

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Even at an early age I new the news was mostly negative and never developed the habit of watching it. Social media allowed me to be wrapped up in things for a little while but since getting off of Facebook a year ago (cause it’s for old people!), I haven’t missed it and it’s feels good not seeing all that negativity and bickering. 
 

ETA- To actually answer your question, yes and it’s amazing. I wish we could all go back to before cell phones.