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I often laugh at myself over the concept of fear — oh, the things I will be afraid of. Heights, I don’t laugh at myself for that one, it has evolutionary origins and is designed to keep me alive, even if I overextend it. But reading Moby Dick? REALLY? I was “afraid” to read Moby Dick, which is just silly. And I was “afraid” of spending a day in my normal life without going online. Of course I’ve spent days in my adult life without going online: there was the day I spent on Machu Picchu; the days I spent floating through the Mekong Delta; the days in Enkhuisen, The Netherlands; a day on a small island off the coast of Croatia. The obvious deal there is that I couldn’t get online, and I was on vacation.

So yesterday was my second normal day spent without going online. My original plans had been to ban the Internet and knitting. I decided to allow knitting, but only after I’d done a bunch of other stuff, only in the evening after dinner.

The goal of this exercise wasn’t to wield a Draconian whip — “Thou must NOT!” — but rather to help me move away from compulsive rut-dwelling and out into the other things I really long to do. So particular exceptions were allowed, to focus on the spirit of the exercise. I needed to share some good news with friends and family, so I opened Outlook, wrote that email, and logged off.

This progress report has two parts: the feelings of it, and what I did. I was worried that I’d feel like a junkie in need of a fix, only able to think about getting online. Consumed by wondering who was saying what on facebook. Consumed with certainty that great stuff was flying through my Google Reader. Curious whether my statcounter would reveal another visit from my assumed stalker. But that’s not what I felt, at all. Those kinds of thoughts would intrude now and then, especially when I was doing something quiet, like reading; it felt like an ADD brain, trying to make me jump from this thing! to that thing! what about the other! But it was easy enough to quiet by returning my attention to what I was doing. One thing the experience helped me see is that my constant multitasking is not my friend. It’s good to be able to do it when you need to, but I do too much of it, and nearly all the time. I’ll knit and watch a movie and read a book on my Kindle and answer emails and texts on my phone, all at the same time. No wonder I feel like I’m drowning in noise. So if nothing else, yesterday’s digital break helped me learn that lesson that I can implement every single day. The bottom line: It wasn’t a horrible feeling, willfully staying offline all day.

The ‘what did I do’ answer is satisfying. I had an unexpected early breakfast with a friend while my husband slept, then a nice conversation on the phone with Marnie (we talk every Saturday, a highlight of my week). My husband got some news that absorbed us for a couple of hours. I read — cover to cover — the current edition of The New York Review of Books. Made a cup of masala chai, pulled back my hair, put on my fleece jacket and wrapped my legs in a handknit blanket (it’s very cold here this weekend), sat at the table with the huge magazine spread out in front of me, and read every word (including a personal ad at the back from a woman who’s looking to date a man 75-80 who is ambulatory. Maybe she should set her sights a little higher?)

I did a writing exercise from my favorite prompt book, The 3am Epiphany. I worked on it for about an hour and a half and am pleased with it; I started making notes for the next chapter of the book I’m writing, trying to work out something I’m not sure about yet.

At this point my husband was making our dinner — chili — and it smelled so good, and made our apartment so warm and cozy, so I felt like watching a movie and knitting. After I recommended The Guard (a wonderful movie, y’all! watch it!), Marnie recommended The Trip, a Steve Coogan movie about two guys on a road trip through beautiful northern England, eating at foodie restaurants (it’s available streaming on Netflix). So I settled in with Steve Coogan and Marnie’s sweater (which — by the way — I had to frog completely, and start all over. Don’t ask, it’s too painful. OK: I had the side seam off on one side, by a lot.), and a cup of green tea. It’s a hilarious movie, and worth watching if only for their competing Michael Caine impressions.

I definitely got more done yesterday — and did a wider variety of things — than I usually do, when I’m plugged into my computer all day. I’m going to keep doing this, taking Saturday internet breaks, and sprinkle in smaller breaks throughout the week. Just like reading Moby Dick, it’s not really as hard as I’d imagined it to be. If you feel similarly scatterbrained and info-overloaded, it’s worth a try!  [edit: i just found this BBC article on the ways in which "Internet addiction" rewires your brain....this is a topic I could rant on, the too-easy naming of things as "addiction," but it's an interesting and pertinent read!]

Stay warm y’all -
L