The best tip to romanticize your life: Be here, now.
As it turns out - offline is the new luxury.
And yet, more than ever before, we’re spending more time on our phones and devices, and less time doing what we actually love and enjoy most.
I’ve outlined the best tips on how to unplug and be more present so you can live a wildly romantic life, but first, I have some insights as to why learning to be more present has the potential to make this year completely different than all others…
Living your dream life doesn’t have to wait until you accomplish something huge or until you have a lot of money. It begins with the investment of your time, and choosing to be more present. It’s the one thing the majority of people have immense difficulty doing.
Let me explain…
With the advancement of technology, we now live through computers that fit in our palms. We use them to create, socialize, work, entertain and plan every aspect of our lives.
The time spent on our devices is constantly pulling us out of the present, and it’s taking a huge toll on our mental health by reducing our attention span and productivity, killing critical thinking, increasing anxiety and stress, and disturbing our sleep.
In 2024, the average American is projected to consume 7 hours and 46 minutes of digital content PER DAY. If you were paid $20 per hour to be on your digital device daily, you’d be making just over $150 each day, or rounding to around $55,000 in a year. You could do a lot of other things with those hours, some of which could actually be making your money.
When you purchased your device, what you didn’t consider was how the dopamine hits would encourage you to give all of your time to the device that you “bought”, but judging by the 144 times you reach for it daily, it looks as though it has bought you. You maybe paid $700-$1000 for this thing, but that’s a very small price to pay when compared to your generous donation of time.
So how do we change this? How do we quit being subjects to technology and instead subject our devices to achieving what we desire most? How do we learn to be less distracted? We regain control over our relationship with our devices, and we practice being here, now.
How to unplug from your phone and become more present:
Make a list of what matters most to you. Whether that’s travel, time with loved ones, learning something new, training for a marathon, or working on your side hustle - start by physically writing down the things you enjoy doing most. I recommend using a notebook or journal for this.
Stop allowing your phone to be a part of your nighttime or morning routine. I encourage you to not charge your phone next to your bed, and to be intentional and give yourself some time in the morning before you go and get it. Doing this was an instant game changer for me! Crazy enough, I slept better, and my mornings (and days in general) became more peaceful. I make myself a beverage, read workout and eat before I spend time on my phone in the mornings.
Disconnect from devices. You’re more than likely one of the millions who use an iPhone. Notifications are one of the best ways the iPhone keeps you connected at all times. To better manage this, here’s a great trick:
Go into your settings, click “Notifications” and set up your “Scheduled Summary”. From there you can go through your most used apps and choose for them to only deliver notifications during your “Scheduled Summary” time. Condensed notifications = more peace of mind.Distraction is killing your dreams, so it’s time to kill the distractions. Your routine evenings and weekends need to be filled with something more valuable than television, video games, the news or social media scrolling. The majority of people who say they “don’t have time” to do what they love are often just choosing to give their time to other things (mostly distractions/entertainment) rather than what they actually want. This is your wakeup call to redistribute your time from things that waste it, to things that add value.
Set a timer before using social media. And I DON’T recommend the ones built into apps, like Instagram. It is wayyyy to easy to click ignore and keep scrolling. The great thing about setting an actual timer is it is louder and can grab your attention enough for you to be able to make a conscious choice to be done.
Get in the habit of noticing things. We have unfortunately done some severe damage to our attention span. Here is an easy way to teach yourself how to notice more - go on a walk or stand in your backyard without your phone. Look at the buildings and note things you do or don’t like, look at wildlife and pay attention to the details of a leaf or flower. You can even close your eyes and check in with yourself to see how you’re feeling in that moment. This may seem basic and silly, but it’s an easy way to teach yourself to slow down, be where you are, and take note of things.
If you implement each of these steps, your life will dramatically change and you will begin to live your most romantic life! Best of luck in the new year, friend!
Cheers…