image via my friend Kristin

I’ve mentioned recently that I’ve been very introspective and very reflective in the last few months. I’ve just been taking inventory of a lot of things in my life and where I’m placing my priorities.

However, above all, there have been a couple of things I’ve been hyper-focused on in the last few months that I guess I sort of need to just word-vomit about in order to continue the process of, well, thinking about them.

One is this idea of “unplugging.” I’m in sort of a Catch 22, or something. I work from home, and I blog, and I’m just a naturally “social” person, so I always feel like I have to be connected. But, I often feel like I have to be connected to the things I don’t want to be connected to, yet I’m disconnected from the things I do want to be connected to. I have to be connected to email and social media because, it’s the nature of what I do. However, since I work from home, there are times when I truly feel like I’m never “off work.”

I don’t feel like I get a break. I’m always either at my desk working or playing with Lilly. Well, Lilly’s play area happens to be right next to my desk. So, the spaces are in many ways, interchangeable. I don’t have an office I can leave at 5:30pm and forget about until the next day. And since Lilly is so much more active during the day, I’m working that much more at night now.

I don’t want you to hear this as complaining in any sense of the matter… this is just merely a statement of fact. I’m so thankful that I’m able to work for a company that allows me to work from home so that I can help support our family and also be home with Lilly. But, it definitely comes with its challenges.

So, I’ve been trying my darndest to really be better about unplugging. I’ve just been implementing little things here and there to “shut off” from the world and be present with my family and give myself a mental break.

I’ve been plugging my phone in the charger in our bedroom once my husband gets home from work and only checking it every once in a while to see if I’ve missed an emergency call or something like that. Or, I just shut it off all together. I don’t have it out at the dinner table, I don’t have it out while we’re watching TV… I keep my phone away so I’m not even tempted to look at it.

And with Lilly, I’m trying to do better about only having my phone out if I absolutely have to. Otherwise, it’s put away and I’m being present with her.

Cell phones (smartphones, in particular) are both the greatest invention ever and my worst enemy.

The other thing I’ve been thinking a lot about is the idea of having faith. John and I are in a season right now where we’ve had to make some big decisions about different things and work through some challenges we have been facing. I’ve always been the one to feel like I have faith and trust that God is going to provide – but sometimes, even I (the eternal optimist) become terrified with a decision or milestone or impending event that I know is going to bring about big changes.

I only share about 10% of my life on this blog. Probably even less than that. I realize it seems like I share a lot more… but I don’t. Honestly. And there have been some trials that John and I have faced recently that we’re trying to decipher what lesson God is trying to teach us. It’s all definitely brought us closer because we’ve had to talk things through, weight pros and cons, and prayerfully consider whether or not we’re making the right choice(s).

I guess, through all this rambling, I’m just trying to say that it’s all about perspective and keeping our eyes on God and trusting that His plan is greater than our own. Because it is. I know that the next few months are going to be awesome and scary and wonderful and terrifying all at the same time… but I know that He works for the good of those who love Him. Which means that we will be just fine. In fact, we’ll be more than fine. We’ll be great.

What about you? You struggling with anything similar? How do you handle it? 

How do YOU unplug? Do you have this problem, too?