5 Reasons to Get Excited About Input Cleanses

What in the world is an input cleanse?

I thought the same thing when I heard it for the first time on The Good Life Project podcast. Don't worry, it doesn't have anything to do with juices or soup detox programs. You're actually already familiar with the idea - it's all about unplugging and stopping the consumption of "inputs."

We have so many inputs coming at us from dozens of angles ALL the time now.

How often do you check your phone? Your email? The news headlines? Celebrity gossip? Social media? Sometimes I'm not even watching the media and I get texts from family members about who died or the latest outfit a celebrity wore. Emails that need to be attended to right now. Checking how many people commented on my post. Sometimes it's even the music we're listening to or the advertisements we think we aren't paying attention to in the background. All of it just keeps coming, with no end in sight.

Awareness about all of these inputs is the first step to making progress.

I love all the research that is coming out about our smartphones being a "slot machine in our pocket" because of the variable rewards we get when we pay attention to them. Dr. Cal Newport tells us to give up social media completely for a lot of good reasons. Personally, I prefer keeping a healthy balance and living within moderation (although there were those 18 months I lived without a smartphone).

I bet you have a lot of excuses about why you can't unplug on a regular basis.

I hear these excuses all the time (and I know I've said them myself at some point):

• I need to be available for emergencies.

• I might miss something.

• I get bored standing in line or waiting for things.

• Everyone else is doing it, is it really a big deal?

• I don't think I have it in me to actually do it.

First, most smartphones now have advanced settings where you can let certain contacts disturb you, no matter what, even if your phone is on silent. That can absolutely be helpful for emergencies of all kinds.

Our smartphones have also created a "fear of missing out (FOMO)" feeling. But trust me, the more you unplug, the more you start to realize you aren't missing anything. You'll catch up.

If you get bored standing in lines, try to use the moment to think mindfully and take deep breaths to help you relax and stay present.

Sure, everyone else is plugged in all the time and consumed by all the inputs, but you're committed to self-improvement and becoming the best version of yourself, isn't that why you're reading this?

And I absolutely know you have the power to do this - embrace your growth mindset and accept the challenge. You'll hit stumbling blocks, we all do, but small, incremental changes can add up quickly.

Now that we've addressed the excuses, let's talk about 5 reasons to get excited for your next input cleanse:

1. You will actually get things done on your to-do list. Sounds obvious, but seriously. Aren't we all trying to reclaim our time for a purpose? The amount of time you're paying attention to inputs right now is more than you think. You're reading this blog post, it's an input! Some of you will find you need to start with an hour and build from there (I go one full day once a month - at least). Once you start to embrace the time, you'll really be able to delve in and get things done.

2. True conversations and relationship building emerges. Doesn't it drive you crazy when someone is distracted while you're trying to talk to them? An input cleanse helps prevent those moments. You'll actually talk and listen with the other person. Deeper conversations and moments can happen.

3. You will probably buy less "stuff." I know I've really found that when I stop the advertisements and constant promotions in my email, I buy less stuff (Unroll.me is a free game changer here). That's why we get all of these ads and promos - so we buy more stuff. Taking an input cleanse always helps prevent the, "But I NEED that feeling," I get about products sometimes. Out of sight, out of mind.

4. You may even feel better emotionally. We've all had that "meh" feeling after scrolling through the highlight reels of everyone else's lives on Facebook or Instagram. There's building evidence social media is influencing our mental health and research studies about the topic have exploded in recent years. Letting ourselves get upset about so-and-so's uninformed commentary isn't really helping our day to day lives. So pay attention to your emotional health after an input cleanse day or weekend.

5. Others will end up joining you. At first, most people are skeptical. But then they'll see how you'll benefitting and want to try it out themselves. And that leads us back to more interactions, more real time with each other, and a positive spiral of momentum for all of us. Who doesn't want that?

Unplugging is a great way to minimize distractions so that you can get the work done. Looking for more ways to put an end to procrastination? Get access to my tips for reclaiming your time with the form below!

The Surprising Benefits of Going on a Silent Retreat

You've probably heard of silent retreats, right? They are quiet places where you stay silent the entire time. I just got back from my first one that lasted a weekend.

It was everything you would expect - serene, peaceful, and calm.

And that's why I went. I wanted to rest and recharge myself before a new semester. I was also curious if I could unplug and rest for that long. I am a "go, go, go" kind of person with endless to-do lists and priorities, even on the weekends. So this was a perfect chance to be at peace and work on my own meditation and spirituality practice.

There were several surprising benefits of going on the retreat too.

The most surprising part was meal time and the lack of "small talk." At my retreat, there were 14 of us total. Typically at a social gathering, you start to introduce yourself and find out reasons why the other people are there. Sometimes you meet someone really interesting, but usually it is a lot of exhausting "small talk." Not at silent retreat. We ate our meals in silence and I had to just speculate and wonder what the background was of all the other attendees. That was surprisingly refreshing. I didn't have to introduce myself over and over again. I didn't have to be slightly irritated with someone's comment about what I do. And there was no one to get distracted with their phone instead of talking to me. We just ate. I really liked it.

The ability to appreciate that the day was my own and only my own.

It's amazing how you don't realize what makes up the majority of your day. People email me, wanting replies. My dogs want to be fed and want attention. Students have questions. A friend needs an RSVP. I need to be home to receive a package. All of those things are little things, but they add up quickly. And so spending a weekend where no one and nothing needed me? It was such a relief. And I lead a pretty relaxing life! I can only imagine how this could help busy parents.

A lot of deeper thoughts need true quality time.

I'll liken this to completing a puzzle or untangling a ball of yarn. Fifteen minutes here or there just isn't going to cut it. I needed time to really think about what I want to accomplish this semester. It reminds me of how Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy recommend that you dedicate an entire day to creating your life plan in their book, "Living Forward." You need time for ideas to bounce around and thoughts to emerge. Give yourself the time to do it instead of being distracted all of the time.

You can always surprise yourself.

I'll admit, I was unsure if I could "not talk" for an entire weekend. I'm such a talker! But I was never going to find out if I could do it - unless I tried. So I jumped right in and tried it. I made it. And it was just another reminder that I should "never say never." When people tell me, "I could never do that," I ask, "How do you know?" Try it out - see what happens. THEN report back!

And finally, the people who need this the most are probably the most resistant to go.

Of course I had time to think about who in my life would like to go on silent retreat and who wouldn't. You really have to like yourself enough to be alone with your thoughts. And if those thoughts scare you or you like to live a life of distraction, a silent retreat would be really difficult. The people in my life who don't even realize they are distracted 99% of the time would be the ones I would most recommend it to.

So would you go on a silent retreat? What do you think you would like about it?