National Day of Unplugging/Unplugging at Maine Camps
March 2, 2022
National Day of Unplugging is happening this weekend and we celebrate the respite that reminds us of our Maine Camp summer days. According to the National Day Calendar, “On the first Friday in March, National Day of Unplugging, kicks off a 24-hour period from sundown to sundown, to unplug, unwind, relax and do things other than using today’s technology, electronics, and social media.”
This is the 13th year that National Unplugging Day is being observed. (The date this year is from sundown on Friday March 4 to sundown on Saturday, March 5, 2022.) The Unplug Collective encourages people to go device-free for one to 24-hours and adopt a healthy balance with technology use in their daily lives.
While we can’t entirely unplug for 24 hours right now (we gotta help prospective families find camp for the coming summer!), we will try to be a little more unplugged and conscious of being more connected to the people and word around us. Reading about all the benefits of unplugging makes us happy as we know that campers get to reap the benefits when they unplug at Maine Camps each summer.
According to National Day Calendar, these are some benefits of unplugging:
Disconnecting or unplugging from all the digital static offers us an opportunity to reset. It also allows us to make more human connections with the people around us. Digital connections lack the tactile essence of the real world such as sounds, smells, and touch. Eye contact, for example, lacks depth in the digital world. In person, however, we gain a sense of someone even if we don’t know what it is yet.
Another benefit of unplugging is better sleep. When we push away from the screen, put down the smartphone, and turn off the computer, we’re more likely to stretch our legs. Going outdoors into the fresh air, we might actually get more natural exercise causing our bodies to sleep better.
Other things about unplugging that might surprise you are that you’ll find more time to do the things you keep saying you have no time to do. For example, reading that book or visiting with an old friend, cleaning out the closets, or hiking a trail. What’s on your list that National Day of Unplugging will help you get finished?
Here are 10 ways to observe #NationalDayOfUnplugging:
- Make a plan with a friend or two ahead of time to take a walk or meet for a meal.
- Turn off smartphones, computers, gaming systems, and televisions. Enjoy conversations uninterrupted by text notifications.
- Get outside! Visit a park, fly a kite, enjoy nature.
- Read the newspaper or a book.
- Write and send a letter to a camp friend or family member.
- Paint rocks or enjoy other creative art projects.
- Build a fort.
- Get active. Ride a bike or take a hike.
- Do a scavenger hunt.
- Play some board games and bake treats!
In general, take a break from technology and use #NationalDayOfUnplugging to post on social media the day before to spread the word.
You can read about the history of National Day of Unplugging here: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/communities/san-diego/story/2021-03-04/la-mesan-behind-launch-of-new-national-unplugging-day-on-saturday
We can’t wait to connect face-to-face with all our campers and staff in Maine this summer!
Sources:
https://www.nationaldayofunplugging.com/what-to-do-collection?category=Scavenger%20Hunts
https://www.nationaldayofunplugging.com