{"id":74161,"date":"2025-03-03T11:56:51","date_gmt":"2025-03-03T18:56:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/?p=74161"},"modified":"2025-03-03T11:56:51","modified_gmt":"2025-03-03T18:56:51","slug":"six-ways-to-unplug","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/six-ways-to-unplug\/","title":{"rendered":"Six ways to unplug"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you find yourself passing the time by scrolling through social media or binge-watching the latest season of \u201cThe Great British Bakeoff?\u201d Don\u2019t get me wrong\u2014I love a good binge. But in an era where everyone has a phone in their pocket, streaming services on demand and a desktop computer or laptop at our fingertips, it\u2019s easy to get attached to the convenience electronic devices provide. And while access to devices have made our lives significantly easier (remember having to print directions before you could drive anywhere, or before that, having to use an actual *gasp* map?!), they also make it easy to dissociate and prevent you from spending more time with people IRL or experiencing the beauty around you.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All the more reason to celebrate the National Day of Unplugging on March 7 by ditching the electronics and focusing on getting in touch with life outside of a screen. Been long enough since you\u2019ve unplugged that you\u2019re not sure what to do? We\u2019ve put together a list of fun things that don\u2019t require an outlet. Whether you want to stay close to home or venture out for a day, these are great ways to get in touch with the world today and every day.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Take a hike<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"Red<\/a>
Red Mountain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For those of us who call Flagstaff home, we are surrounded by an array of incredible hikes. From longer day hikes (like Kachina Trail or Humphreys Peak) to shorter stints (like Red Mountain or Griffith Spring), there is something for everyone. And for those elsewhere, check out the hikes in your area. Even if you live in a large metropolitan city, you usually don\u2019t have to go far to enjoy a nice outdoor stroll.<\/span>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Visit a local attraction<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"Black<\/a>
Bearizona Wildlife Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Consider this the perfect excuse to play tourist in your own city. If you\u2019re in Flagstaff, take this opportunity to visit the newly expanded Lowell Observatory, make a drive out to Meteor Crater or soak up the wildlife at Bearizona. For those elsewhere, find a local museum or park and explore something new that you\u2019ve had an interest in seeing.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Get creative<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"Close<\/a>
Crocheting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

More of a homebody and like the idea of staying in? Use this opportunity to do a fun craft (check out this <\/span>DIY wall hanging<\/span><\/a>), try a new recipe (like these <\/span>blueberry muffins<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>potato tacos<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>mac and \u201ccheez\u201d<\/span><\/a>) or snuggle up with a blanket and new book.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Go for a drive<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"Grand<\/a>
Grand Canyon National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Whether you want to check out the spring flowers at Snowbowl, the red rocks of Sedona or the majesty of the Grand Canyon, there are plenty of day trips that are a great way to enjoy the beauty around you. Make sure to pack some snacks or a picnic and map out your trip beforehand. If you want to take \u201cunplugging\u201d to the max, go old-school and use a printed map or atlas to make your plans.<\/span>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Catch up with a friend<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"Close<\/a>
Coffee date<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Unplugging from electronics doesn\u2019t mean you need to do it alone. Plan a coffee date or lunch with a long-lost friend. It\u2019s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day between work, school, extracurriculars and other life obligations. Use this opportunity to call up that friend you haven\u2019t seen for a few months and plan a much needed catch up.<\/span>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Join a class<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"Students<\/a>
Sacred Mountain Fighting and Healing Arts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Step out of your comfort zone and join a group class. Whether you decide to get creative and paint or make pottery or get physical and try Pilates or martial arts, it\u2019s not only a great way to unplug but also connect with other people and get a good workout. Some places even offer your first class for free, so you really have nothing to lose!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whatever you decide to do, make a conscious effort to be present and engage for one hour, five hours or if you\u2019re feeling ambitious, the whole 24 hours. Setting an attainable goal ahead of time will make it easier to plan your day. Your social platforms and email inbox will be there when you\u2019re done, and you\u2019ll be surprised how refreshing it is to unplug\u2014you may even decide to ditch the smartphone altogether.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do you find yourself passing the time by scrolling through social media or binge-watching the latest season of \u201cThe Great British Bakeoff?\u201d Don\u2019t get me wrong\u2014I love a good binge. But in an era where everyone has a phone in their pocket, streaming services on demand and a desktop computer or laptop at our fingertips,…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":74188,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1816],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-74161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lumberjack-lifestyle"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74161"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74161\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}