Week 9 - Entry 1

 Downtime - What I Do Offline to Recharge

    In the modern world, it can be extremely difficult to fully remove yourself from the internet or other kinds of technology. As a student, I have done the majority of my daily tasks including homework, reading textbooks, taking exams, and studying on a laptop for the past decade. Now that COVID-19 is here, even the majority of my classes have been virtual over the past two years. My place of work also requires the frequent use of the internet and technology. At work, the majority of my tasks need to be completed or documented on a computer or smartphone. But work and school are not the only times when young people use the internet or technology. After a long day of work and school, most people my age would say that the first thing they do when they get home is get on their phone. Social media, video streaming platforms, online messaging and video platforms, and other internet applications keep many young people occupied for a large portion of our days. At times this can become too much. By the end of the work week, the thought of opening my laptop one more time or responding to one more text or email is repulsive. Technology and the internet are wonderful achievements and make our lives much easier, but they can also have negative impacts on your mental health if not used in moderation. Today I'll be discussing some of the things that I do to go offline and recharge. 

Get Up and Move

    Exercising is one of my favorite ways to disconnect from the world of technology. It allows me to better myself physically, relax mentally, and blow off some steam. At the end of a long day exercise is often the last thing that I want to do, but making sure to plan my activities gives me the motivation I need to get up and move. I typically do more heavy exercise like going for runs or a cycling class in the morning. This gets my body moving early in my day and does a great job of waking me up before I start work or school. In the evening, I always take my dog for a walk to the park, and in the summer I

enjoy going for runs outside or cycling on the bike path near my apartment. Getting up and moving around, even if not vigorously exercising, is a great way for me to relax after a long day of looking at screens. 

Cooking

Eating and trying new kinds of foods is also something that I love to do.

Learning how to cook is not necessarily an easy thing to do, but once you learn the basics it can become really fun. I learned how to cook very young from my mother and grandmother. At the time I did not enjoy it because I would have rather been outside playing with my friends, but now I am beyond grateful to them for teaching me so young. Cooking my own meals helps me make healthier decisions, is much cheaper than only ordering takeout, and has become one of my favorite ways to unwind after a long day and recharge after being online for school and work. My mom and grandma have given me their family recipes which I use to cook some of my meals, but one my favorite things to do in the kitchen is make foods from other cultures which I may not be familiar with. Cooking is almost therapeutic to me in a way, and is one of my favorite things to do when recharging.