The Unplugged Hours : Cultivating a Life of Presence in a Digitally Connected World

TED Talks speaker and mental health advocate Hannah Brencher inspires readers to unplug from technology and cultivate a life of presence, connection and wonder. On average, we will engage with our phones around 2,617 times per day and spend between four months and five years of our lives on social media. Evidence shows that we turn to our devices whenever we feel alone, tired or in need of affirmation–but what could we gain if we unplugged? Driven by a growing feeling of anxiety and overwhelm, Hannah Brencher set herself a challenge for her 33rd birthday: 1000 device-free hours across 365 days. This book contains everything she learned in this life-changing year, from how to recognize the warning signs of phone over-reliance, dealing with the messy middle and building a lifestyle of unplugging for the long haul, to the 1000-hour plan Hannah created for her journey. Throughout, Hannah inspires and helps the reader to make small, attainable changes through 20 meditations on key themes, including: How insecurity feeds digital addiction The importance of needing other people and connection How to appreciate the mundane beauty of everyday life Embracing vulnerability and honesty in real-life interactions Learning to be quiet and be alone Being a work in progress. This is not a book about curing digital addiction or pursuing the unrealistic goal of ditching technology entirely. After all, good things can happen online. This book is about the wonderful things that can happen to us when we untether ourselves from our devices and choose to live a life more present.