Unplugging. It’s a thing. In the days of old people called it Tuesday.
Our grandparents weren’t inundated with constant noise. They spent their days in relative silence. If they were lucky they had a radio that they all gathered around a few times a week to listen to a program. Their lives were simpler.
Modern day us? Our brains and our senses are constantly engaged with tech. We wake in the morning to a bright screen, spend our days working at a computer, our nights staring at a TV, and every moment in between (and sometimes during), we’re looking at our phones. We wear multi-tasking like a badge of honor.
Technology is wonderful in a thousand ways: information at our fingertips, the efficiency of email, facetime for connecting with friends and family across the world, safer cars, and even modern medicine & life-saving surgery.
But it comes at a price. The strain on our eyes, the connection to adrenal fatigue and anxiety, and perhaps the worst, the general disconnection from other humans. When is the last time you talked to a stranger in the grocery line or at the doctor’s office? When was the last time you sat down to a family dinner without someone looking at their phone?
That’s why we thoroughly believe in the importance of disconnecting, and consequently reconnecting.
A little ironic perhaps that we’re a tech company talking about unplugging from technology, but as with most things in life, we all need balance. Even tech lovers.
We made a list of easy and fun fall activities to reconnect. Give one or ten a try. You’ll have a good time and you can support some local small businesses while you’re at it.
Fun Fall Activities for everyone:
Corn mazes & pumpkin pickin’
Hiking/leaf collecting
Jacobsburg Park – Nazareth, PA (note: you’re not allowed to remove anything from a State Park, so just admire the beauty)
Ironton Rail Trail – Ironton, PA
Slate Heritage Trail – Slatington, PA
Raking leaves and jumping in them!
DON’T FORGET to check yourself/each other for tics…we’re in PA after all, and Lyme disease sucks.
Historic Haunted Tours
The Moravian Bookshop Historic Downtown Bethlehem, PA
Carving pumpkins/roasting seeds
Save the seeds from your pumpkin. Simmer in salted water for 10 minutes to remove the pumpkin slime. Dry them with a tea towel or paper towels. Cover in the oil of your choice and add seasonings of your choice. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 325F for about 25 minutes (check/turn every 10 minutes).
Fall Crafts
Crafts are perfect for unplugging. Visit Pinterest for ideas, and The Country Grapevine in Bath, PA for supplies.
Making pumpkin everything together
Pinterest recipes
Pumpkin coffee with friends
Try Taylor Roasted on Main St, Northampton, PA. They have pumpkin coffee and bread and muffins. We’re drooling. Take a paper book with you and relax outside. Or just watch the world go by while you enjoy your treats.
Raining?
Visit an indoor water park, museum, haunted house, or visit the historic Roxy Theater for an inexpensive show.
Visit a local arboretum to see a plethora of tree species
Graver Arboretum – Bushkill Township, PA
Go for a hike with a beautiful mountain view
Visit Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Kempton, PA. For all ages – see beautiful raptors and learn about conservation.
Fire pit and s’mores
Because everyone loves to cozy up by a fire…and s’mores. For a twist on the traditional s’more, try raiding the Halloween candy stash and substitute peanut butter cups, Milky Ways, Snickers or Peppermint Patties instead of regular chocolate.
Plant Spring bulbs & sow perennial seeds
Check your bulbs and seed packets. Some bulbs and perennials do well with a Fall planting.
For more ideas, visit the Morning Call online.
So, take a few hours this week for unplugging with your family, your friends, yourself, your dog, whomever. Disconnect from technology. Reconnect with the world. You’ll feel the difference.
To learn more about the affect of tech on kids, visit our post Gamer Addiction & Summertime Fun.
– Shannie
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