“A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in.” – Robert Orben

When my husband and I went on vacation in May I decided that I would try and take a partial vacation from social media as well. When we arrived at our destination in northern Arkansas, the Internet just so happened to be out. I think the self-imposed Internet exile was good, though a little like going through detox or withdrawal for me. Since both of my jobs are online, social media is a big part of my life. There was nothing I could do about it so I relaxed and enjoyed time knitting and visiting. It was a good opportunity to get ready to limit my time on the computer for a week.

If you have a small business, a blog, or write articles, then you can’t totally unplug from social media. However, you can take steps to keep it from intruding on your vacation.

Here are some simple things I did to make my vacation time smoother:

1. Prepare posts, tweets, or articles ahead of time. On some blog sites you can have the posts all written out, and then schedule them to post on the days you want.

2. Try to check email only 2-3 times a day. You can minimize having too many by using an auto message stating that you are on vacation but will check your emails at least once a day and assure them you will get back to them.

3. Check your tweets and send messages to new followers once a day.

4. Limit your personal posting on social media as well. A simple recap once a day with a few well-chosen photos is sufficient. I found some helpful advice in an article written by Andrea Bartz and Brenna Ehrlich called Your Vacation Need Not Annoy Your Online Pals.

If you are planning a vacation in the coming months, check out this article by Sean R. Nicholson called 10 Tips For Taking A Vacation From Social Media.

This vacation brought my mind back to simpler times when computers were new and used only for work. My free time was taken up with spending time with my family, writing letters, reading, being outdoors, doing crafts or needlework. I still do most of those things but not as much. Digital devices can rob us of time spent on building relationships or participating in hobbies and activities. It gave me the opportunity to think about how I can balance digital life with real-time living.

What do you do when you take vacation or unplug from the Internet world?

 

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