Do you spend your days pushing to get things done while neglecting your own needs?
Allow me to introduce you to #UNPLUG- A new way that focuses on what matters; Work, Digital and Family balance and start living a more balanced life online and offline.
#UNPLUG helps you calm your mind and spirit so you can focus on what’s truly going to bring joy and purpose in your life.
About me:
Hi, call me Shi, I enjoy disconnecting people to connect them with themselves. I value human connections, I want you to always be present (at least when I am around),so, will you put your damn devices down? Okay after you read this.
Treat this as a welcome to my offline world that is more about digital wellness. Let me guide you on how to unplug so you can achieve a balanced life.
You’re going to love it here if…
- It’s deeply important to you to find balance for you, your work, digital devices and family, while also having plenty of spaciousness to enjoy your life.
- You’re ready to find a group of amazing individuals who want to enjoy life offline.
- You enjoy your time online but need some serious accountability to make it a regular practice.
My journey so far…
I grew up like most millennials…with digital devices around me. But looking back on my life and the digital path I’ve taken, I wish i’d discovered the fun things offline earlier but i’ll with a smile say they were simply pointing me to the right path.
Before I knew what to call it, I knew that all I wanted to do was run away from all of it. I was the Overwhelmed Employee. Working at a time when there was an increasing blurred line in the delicate balancing act of work and life, I burnt out.
And just like a caged animal, I craved to roam free and I did. That is how Toxic Work Spaces was founded. I had several years experience of the “always-on” culture which played a role in employees becoming overly distracted by the numerous tools that they are required to adopt and utilize and eventually it makes it a Toxic Work Space.
For 6 Months, I held monthly forums where individuals would gather and collectively share and discuss their various work challenges.
We had a book that is still my favorite “Bullshit Jobs” by David Graeber, that was our guide for months. One day, I decided to gather anonymous feedback from different individuals about the forums and the next month I risked and took the forum outdoors.
From the feedback, I realized the individuals were looking for an escape and that is how ESCAPE Work Challenge was conceptualized.
“Escape Work Challenge-February 2020 Highlights” by Shi https://medium.com/@cateshikooh/escape-work-challenge-february-2020-highlights-2b2c8f479476
It was only two months into this and then the pandemic decided y’all have escaped enough. I had an event coming up, I had everything planned out so it was not easy to deal with it all alone. I woke up, booked a ticket and headed to the coast with my devices switched off.
It was not easy, the first night was really tough but I needed to not know what was happening around me, I was at a point when everyone seemed to be doing well and then there I was, with some of my savings kinda messed up due to the use money to make money belief.
I had tech withdrawal symptoms, I was moody so I was trying to wonder why, I came to understand that later. It was a long week. When I came back home, I had a vague idea about traveling while offline. I had lunch with my friend and she was on her phone the entire time… Wait…..let me digress “What role do you play in your squad?”I am mostly a photographer.
Back to the lunch date, so after spending a week offline without my devices, I felt awkward that she wasn’t present, when she wasn’t asking me to take her photos and approving them, she was taking pics of the cafe, meals and drinks and taking time to find a caption and Shi, the content creator, was tasked to approve.
FYI this was happening at a time when I was wishing we’d connect more. I kinda felt bad that she never requested to take photos of me. Anyone who has really interacted with me knows about my social battery and how fast it can run out but I have over the last couple of months learned that so long as I am self-aware and everyone is present, I can survive some hours and will need to recharge at a corner at some point.
That evening, I came home and conceptualized #UNPLUG. I also ensured that Wednesdays or Fridays, a day I dedicate to meeting my squad to know how they are REALLY doing, no digital devices are part of our catch up.
I am a solo traveler as I enjoy spending time alone, as a thinker, long trips with my camera is my time to discover places and my storytelling side is always awake when I am offline.
I was challenged to tag along a friend the first time, It was haaaaard! Damn! Tech withdrawal was projected and that is how my friend is no longer a friend. But it’s all good. I was discouraged, as an empath, I was hard on myself but I then planned for another #UNPLUG, this was great, we connected with the participant who I met on the departure morning. I will blog broadly about this Kilifi Trip on a separate post.
Diani, was the meant to be the ultimate #UNPLUG Retreat as it was everyone's’ first time there. Boy oh boy, I had the best and WORST experience. I will also be blunt about my emotional experience in Diani.
A very interesting thing in Diani happened, I connected with a close friend, for the first time someone saw my social battery ran out and, I will also have him share this experience in the Millennial #UNPLUG Retreat.
I have lessons learned both good and tough ones, as we wait for the new website,I hope you’ll enjoy reading this and I hope I will host you in my digital detox retreats in 2021.
So, will you let me take away your digital devices for two or three days? Yes or YESSS?
Halla, I gatchu.
