Doing some sort of sport that can be done in a group is a great way to disconnect from your phone.
You can't really be on your phone while doing whatever activity it is that you're doing, your body is already engaged, and your mind is taken up by other people.
I'm a huge advocate for sports and genuinely think it can fix a lot of our 21st century problems.
Hey! So exciting that you're printing a physical version of your newsletter! I love that idea, and I might borrow it from you!
In terms of IRL interactions, I'm a social butterfly who always has a very full calendar. A lot of it is centered about my kids. I created a group for the parents of small kids in my neighborhood and we meet up weekly for play dates. My kids and I are part of a forest "school" group that meets up once a week. I love these activities that remain the same week after week. They're baked into my schedule and I see the same people on a regular basis, which allows us to build deeper friendships over time.
I also recently started attending contradances once a month. There's something about it that is so uplifting to me, probably because it's so unusual to get up close and personal with strangers! I have a big fat smile pasted on my face for 3 hours while I twirl around to live music and laugh with people I've never met before. Slowly by surely, I'm starting to get to know people in that circle as well, seeing the same folks month after month. It's a low-key way to engage with humans, it's great exercise and it brings me joy!
One thing Mehret from "time spent offline" wrote about recently is how buying things in person (instead of online) helps her have more human interactions. These small interactions with strangers are healthy and joyful (usually!), even if they're just a lighthearted pleasantry shared between strangers. I love that idea and I am going to try to be more intentional about doing the same. (I am quickly becoming friends with the folks at my local garden center!)
Doing some sort of sport that can be done in a group is a great way to disconnect from your phone.
You can't really be on your phone while doing whatever activity it is that you're doing, your body is already engaged, and your mind is taken up by other people.
I'm a huge advocate for sports and genuinely think it can fix a lot of our 21st century problems.
Hey! So exciting that you're printing a physical version of your newsletter! I love that idea, and I might borrow it from you!
In terms of IRL interactions, I'm a social butterfly who always has a very full calendar. A lot of it is centered about my kids. I created a group for the parents of small kids in my neighborhood and we meet up weekly for play dates. My kids and I are part of a forest "school" group that meets up once a week. I love these activities that remain the same week after week. They're baked into my schedule and I see the same people on a regular basis, which allows us to build deeper friendships over time.
I also recently started attending contradances once a month. There's something about it that is so uplifting to me, probably because it's so unusual to get up close and personal with strangers! I have a big fat smile pasted on my face for 3 hours while I twirl around to live music and laugh with people I've never met before. Slowly by surely, I'm starting to get to know people in that circle as well, seeing the same folks month after month. It's a low-key way to engage with humans, it's great exercise and it brings me joy!
One thing Mehret from "time spent offline" wrote about recently is how buying things in person (instead of online) helps her have more human interactions. These small interactions with strangers are healthy and joyful (usually!), even if they're just a lighthearted pleasantry shared between strangers. I love that idea and I am going to try to be more intentional about doing the same. (I am quickly becoming friends with the folks at my local garden center!)