The crisp sound it makes as I turn a page, draws me into a deep, releasing breath. It’s hard to explain it any other way. There is nothing that compares to the feeling of paper between my hands.
Let’s be honest though; I’m sitting here in a library whilst waiting for my son to finish his Tae Kwon Do class and my daughter is next to me watching a movie from a screen. Yes, she could go get a book and on other occasions she has, but for today I am trying to finish this blog, which I have sat down ten times to try and write and the list of why’s goes on.
Over in the corner of the library is a noisy class learning computer coding and from the window vista of the desk I sit at, a Mum is playing frisbee in the park and recording her kids running around on her smart phone, I assume for Instagram.
The why’s are profound and the brilliance we have captured for the future amazing through the lens of a screen, but at what cost?
This year I have written a manifesto for my family and one of the goals is choosing paper over screens. Learning to pick up my novel rather than my phone. Being curious why I am scrolling social media accounts instead of showing up to my writing.
Writing letters to my friends rather than a short emotionless text and I have set a huge goal of novels to read for this year, instead of wasting my time reading other peoples stories.
In the past I have worked on my addiction to screens by taking drastic steps to disconnect. I am learning however, to reconnect rather than disconnect and explore why I am scrolling instead of creating.
When I pick up a piece of paper and write I let go of the story I am telling myself, allowing clarity and capacity to rise. Rather than shaming myself for the need to slow and watch a screen to decompress, finding ways to replace the behaviour rather than beat myself up, is such a powerful tool.
Some questions to ask yourself as you sit in front of a screen.
- Ask yourself why you are logging in? Boredom, fear or tiredness.
- Are you avoiding responsibility? Procrastination, hiding or frustration.
- How many times have you sat in front of a screen today? Work, Netflix or phone.
Write a list of ways you can achieve the same feeling without a screen.
- What makes you feel connected that doesn’t include a screen?
- What can you do that helps you relax, instead of sitting in front of a screen?
- When was the last time you left the house without a phone?
These are very simple questions, that can help you set more boundaries around the amount of screen time in your everyday. Boredom often leads to creative answers, but we live in a society that is very rarely bored anymore.
Do you prefer paper over screens?
How are you exploring this part of your world?
Happy Exploring Friends
Amanda
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