Blog Challenge #20: Down time is critical

In her Mashable article: 7 Reasons You Should Unplug This Summer, Kyli Singh includes things like improved health, career and sleep among her reasons for giving your brain a tech break. In my house, we have had to implement a daily "no-tech" hour for our son who suffers from seizures. It wasn't until he pointed out how many hours I work in front of a screen that I realized how much I needed a break from the screen as well. This weekend, I vowed to spend less screen time reading and more paper time reading.

Reading for pleasure is such a rarity these days for me that when I can do so without guilt, I savor every second of it. This weekend, I did a full unplug and only read on my iPad if I was in a non-wifi area. Yes, I can just turn off the WiFi on my iPad and read without distractions but I like to play Frozen Free Fall and The Sims FreePlay on my downtime too so I tend to leave the WiFi turned on.

But because I also edit manuscripts on my iPad when I really want to unplug and not be tempted to check email, switch to iAnnotate or Evernote and do agency work, I pick up a paperback, sit in my reading chair (now comfortably located in my bedroom) and immerse myself in some good ole book reading!

Is there anything more incredible than the worlds you get to explore when you're reading? This weekend, I picked up two books: Seanan McGuire's Discount Armageddon and Tiffany Reisz's The Siren. Both books I've been dying to read for months and just couldn't find the time to sit and savor. Now, reading more than one book at a time is something I do regularly so it's not uncommon for me to have several books in my "Currently Reading" shelf on Goodreads. After finishing The Death Cure, the final book in The Maze Hunter trilogy last weekend, I decided to spend this weekend with kick-ass female authors writing about kick-ass female main characters.

It felt great to spend a little time with my paperback friends. Next weekend, I think I will truly unplug and see how long I can last without any technology. I'm thinking it'll only last one day, but hey... it's a start, right?

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