We’ve given some thought to the Benefits of Media Detox. We view this problem as both hosts and guests. This is a practice we have as part of “Bed and Breakfast Life”.
Have you ever just needed a break? (I hear ya, who doesn’t?) Some downtime? A time-out? A Girls’ Getaway? Would you love a vacation? A little peace and quiet? Family togetherness and fun? R & R? A Great Escape? Whatever you call it, when you know the hamster wheel is getting to you, what’s needed is a change of pace and place. Bringing the wheel along with you, however, is not. When I need a little wisdom and perspective, I like to go to my favorite philosopher, Winnie the Pooh, who once said,
“Doing nothing often leads to the very best something”.
For example, when you go camping, or on the water, or a road trip, what do you remember most about the adventure? Is it, “I really missed those (un)real housewives of some terrible place I never want to visit”? or Kimmel/Fallon/Colbert/Myers (aren’t they all the same guy? Or at least the same terrible writers)…no, not even a little!
Try Doing Nothing
Try doing a little bit of nothing now and then, to get perspective on all the somethings that clutter our brains and lives. Like tech, noise, work, chores, study, effort. It becomes counterproductive to be so focused on moving, keeping the plates spinning, that we forget the part about living. Which reminds me of another Pooh Bear quote,
“What day is it? It’s today! Oh, that’s my favorite day!”
Doing nothing, in the healthy way, can be simply sitting in a garden watching dragonflies hovering over a pond. Taking in the beautiful smells of flowers, listening to birds, feeling the soft grass under our feet while throwing a frisbee. Spending time with the people we love, who want and need our full attention.
“Any day spent with you is my favorite day. So, today is my new favorite day!” …Pooh.
Is this easy, or hard? Well, that depends. Some of the hardest things are really the simplest when we finally decide what is most important to us. That is why we gave up TV at our house. We always had one. Way back it was the box. With the clunky vcr attached to it, where you could watch movies for entertainment. Now it’s the big flatscreen with a dvd player and baskets and baskets filled with classic and entertaining movies. From time to time we have had netflix, roku, firestick, chromecast, u-verse, even cable, but as soon as the endless choices, good and bad (mostly bad) became a problem and an intrusion on the business of living (which it usually does) we reevaluated, and went back to enjoying the occasional movie from the basket.
Media Detox
Articles are frequently written about video games and the dopamine hits they provide. How your brain activity slows considerably when you are wrapped up in inane images on a screen, and how relationships suffer when everyone’s idea of “togetherness” as a family means gathering around the glowing screen, whether in the same room or separate. The adjective “separate” looks exactly like the verb “separate” for good reason.
But there is a cure! A simple and relatively painless one…you could just walkaway from it. Withdraw, a little at a time, from the tech and noise and play a card or board game, read a story, go for a walk, run under the sprinklers, play music, sit around a firepit and toast marshmallows, chase fireflies or dig in the garden. Not forever, just for a special time. You may find you really like it! Which leads to my last Pooh quote,
“I always get to where I’m going by walking away from where I’ve been”.
TV or Not TV
So I have a question. TV or not TV? Even Hamlet would wonder! Our lovely bed and breakfast, The Firefly at Madison has 5 guest rooms and apartments. All those activities and many more can be done, weather permitting, any time, as well as all the many things to do in the Madison/Athens/Lake Oconee area like festivals, art and craft classes, shopping, horseback riding, concerts, lake activities, hiking, museums, galleries and so much more. What do you think, should our sweet bnb be a tv-free zone? Yes we have wifi, you have your phone, your ipad, your laptop if you feel the need to keep up with the latest. I’m talking about installing the home theater systems, the big flat screens that seem to take over a cozy room. What do you think?
Please respond with your opinion, should The Firefly be like everyone else and have tv available in every room, or should we stand out as a place where peace and serenity come first? TV or not TV? Ok, just one more quote from Winnie the Pooh….I can’t resist! What would it mean for someone to say this to you, and truly mean it?
“Sitting next to you doing absolutely nothing means absolutely everything to me”
