In this era of virtual reality and fast food brands having their own Twitter accounts, it is hard to separate ourselves from our screens. We get so caught up in what is happening around us that we do not take time to care for ourselves.
We occupy ourselves with other peoples’ lives through the use of social media, criticizing celebrities or politicians for their opinions and behaviors. Even though technology is crucial to how we learn and interact with the world around us, it can distract us from the finer details of our individual well-being.
One of the greatest ways to stay away from media traffic is to spend the day in nature. It can be humbling to see the remnants of the world we came from; honking traffic would be replaced by an evenly flowing river, and annoying pop-up ads would turn into birds chirping. There are plenty of areas that are not infected by phone networks.
Camping can be fun for some people, but the best part is sitting around the fire and spending time with friends and family. No internet means no news, so everyone would talk about their own lives and families, their personal news. Having strong relationships is important to our health, and relationships with people in your physical life tend to be stronger than those maintained online.
Of course, there are many more distractions than just phones and laptops, but they are our most convenient method of distraction. Almost everything is becoming digital, grocery shopping can be done online, and the majority of classes here at BC are hybrid.
Everything requires balance, and that includes the balance between interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships, meaning that the most important relationship we have is with ourselves. A trending way of self-reflection and caring for ourselves is meditation, and it is often misunderstood. Media used to portray meditation as staying quiet and still for hours; although meditation usually requires silence, all one has to do is relax and think about themselves.
Meditation is not about enlightenment or reaching God. It is simply a method of self-care. Self-care is exactly what it sounds like, taking care of the self. It can be as easy as buying a churro or petting rabbits at the local pet store to cheer ourselves up or relieve stress. We might do these things for our friends when they are feeling low, but we sometimes forget to be our own friend. Treat others how you want to be treated, and in turn, treat yourself the way you treat others.
Of course, our phones and social platforms can also be utilized in self-care, we could watch a funny YouTube video or FaceTime a distant friend. The idea is to stay away from distractions. On Facebook people post about social injustices, and YouTube now has a breaking news banner on the home page. Although it is vital to give attention to our society and learn about the world, it is equally vital to sometimes ignore the problems in the world and just try to have a good day.