Greetings bookworms and welcome back to my blog! I suppose this is also a mini ‘welcome back’ for me also, since I went on a small hiatus for this weekend without really letting most of you know – unless you follow me on Twitter of course *hint hint*. Today is Monday, and of course, a Monday Musings discussion post is due.
You’re probably wondering what this week’s topic is about, after glancing at the title. Well, after being away for about four days, away from usual life, away from the internet and blogging and books – I’ve realized the importance of being able to disconnect to reconnect. But to really explain what I mean, I’ll start off with where I’ve been.
Where I’ve Been
This weekend I celebrated my best friend’s 18th birthday, by going on a weekend road trip down to Jurien Bay. We rented a beautiful beach house, just minutes away from the beach, in the most quiet, isolated, yet relaxing neighbourhood ever. It was a road trip that I was so excited for because I have a huge case of wanderlust and road trips are totally my kind of thing.
And so, we went to Jurien Bay, hours away from our lives and homes. Partially away from the internet, and living in a place that almost seemed like a ghost town. It was beautiful to feel like we were almost the only ones living in the area, because of how quiet and spaced out the houses were. We spent time at the beach, and when we weren’t out doing something all day, we were inside cooking food, and making memories to last a lifetime. Being away from electronics (kind of, because we did have a working TV there) and the internet and just generally away from our daily lives, was simply the most amazing thing for me and it made me realize that sometimes, we get so used to our lives that we unconsciously disconnect from ourselves and from the life around us. Going on this trip reconnected me in many ways – it made me realize how sometimes, stepping out and going away from our lives for a while can sometimes bring us back to it in a closer, more intimate way – if that makes sense.
What does it mean to disconnect?
For me, disconnecting was travelling three hours away from home with a group of my closest friends, to live together in a house for three days, away from our daily lives. I think that it’s really important that we give ourselves this kind of disconnection to our lives every once in awhile. It could be as big as that, or it could be something little, like, going without internet and electronics for a few days, or spending time alone for a few days or so.
I think sometimes we can sort of, fear the thought of disconnecting, for the thought that we might miss out on something or that things won’t be the same. But I beg to differ. I believe that it can truly be beneficial for ourselves, and here’s why:
A shift in perspective
Taking time away from our daily lives can send us back feeling and thinking differently about our lives. At times, we can get so used to what we do everyday, so used to the routine, that we just don’t think about what we do. But taking time off and then coming back, has us stepping back into our lives with fresh minds, and that’s honestly a lovely feeling.
We appreciate the things around us more
After spending some time away, maybe from friends or the internet, you come back with a much bigger sense of appreciation for the things you went without for however long you ‘disconnected’ for. In my case, I came to appreciate my friends so much more and I felt that I appreciated the world around me more, after seeing beautiful sunsets and gorgeous beaches and fantastic landscapes around me for the few days I was away for my trip.
It clears your mind
It’s like an extended version of a ‘me-time’ day, really. Of course in life, we can go through stresses and our mind can get really built up with junk, just the way our hair can get full of buildup and oil that sometimes we need a little deep cleansing to get it back to being fresh and clean. The same goes for our mind, body and soul and taking time away from it all definitely helps this.
Josies Book Corner 
Tell me your fabulous thoughts, bookworms!