Well, here I am. It’s only been almost half a year since anyone has heard from me…
I had a baby this year and had already planned a three-month maternity leave. On top of that, I’ve been experimenting with unplugging and living slowly, attempting to be fully present in the current moment. I’ll admit that I’ve done somewhat well, but I’ve also done somewhat horribly.
After Margaret was born, there was a lot of time sitting around while she nursed. Admittedly I used some of this time to veg out on tv shows and social media since I was stuck sitting still, and very sleep-deprived. It seemed like an easy and justified way to “kill the time” or “reward myself.” I was glued to my phone for ordering items, keeping in tune with the rest of the world, texting my husband to ‘please bring me more water, or a meal,’ etc.
It had its place when I needed it, but as time has gone on I no longer need it yet have found myself sometimes still glued to my phone as a crutch. So although I haven’t posted on social or written a blog post, and most of my emails remain unanswered, I’ll admit that I haven’t been as disconnected as I appear or wish to be.
So these last couple of weeks I’ve been working to change that. Instead of having my phone around for when she’s nursing or napping in my arms, I’ve got a book nearby in its place. Instead of incessantly taking pictures of a moment, I’m trying to experience that moment first-hand. I’ll probably have fewer pictures of Margaret than the average 2022 mom, but when the only moment you are certain to get is NOW, I’m going to try my best to soak it in.
So a big part of what I’ll be focusing on in this next phase of my life is going to be this concept of Slow Living. For me, a lot of that has to do with unplugging in order to do so. I am hopelessly dependent on tech to make it through a day - be it to connect with others, or distract myself from boredom, or have the answer to every question.
Unplugging, slowing down, and living sustainably all add up to “Unplug, Live Slow” for me. As I work my way through understanding this concept, I came up with the following preliminary visual.
The intersection of unplugging, living slowly, and sustainable living feels natural and cohesive to me, all adding up to the Unplug, Live Slow concept/philosophy/experiment. And under sustainable living it can branch off into the reduce (minimalism), reuse (upcycling), recycle (honestly nothing gets recycled so this is just a last resort) triangle. Ultimately all of this adds up to one really old-fashioned lady. That is 100% me.
So be prepared in the coming weeks and months to see a bit more content as it relates to the imagery above. I’m still all about productivity and efficiency to help business owners accomplish their goals, but only so far as it helps people “do less, better” so that they can make time to live life too.
Well, that’s all for now. I just wanted to let you know what I’ve been up to and what I’ll be working on next. I’d love to hear from you, too. Does any of this resonate with you? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments below.
Sincerely,
Lana