This didn’t occur to me during initial conversations about Blogger Unplugged, but now everytime I see that phrase I think of the Nirvana MTV Unplugged CD I bought years and years ago.
Sorry, that was quite a tangent!
Anyway, the other day on Twitter (oh, Twitter, you are like a petri dish!), I was talking with Candace from Beth Fish Reads about the need for all of us to take a break now and then. A lot of people chimed in that they had a hard time stepping back from their blogs, Google Reader, and Twitter. Part of the reason for it is that many of us have become good friends, but we don’t live near one another and don’t talk on the phone, so we need blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and the rest of it to keep up with one another. I know that more than one person said that they felt like they would miss out on something if they turned off the internet. Maybe we all just feel like we need permission to unplug ourselves.
Well, Candace and I are GIVING you permission. More than that, we’re CHALLENGING you to unplug sometime between now and the end of the year. The holidays are a great time to spend with family and, even though I know sometimes the blogging community feels like family, take some time off to spend with your IRL (in real life, for those of you who don’t know) family.
Here are the rules: there are no rules. We’re just suggesting that you pick a time between now and the end of the year (or anytime, really!) to unplug. Turn off Twitter, don’t blog, etc. If you need to give yourself a Twitter limit instead of turning it off, sure, whatever works for you. Choose a day, a week, evenings, whatever, but unplug, relax, and fight blogger burnout. Also, don’t worry about having posts go up when you’re unplugged! If you have some and want to preschedule, okay, but don’t kill yourself trying to get some up, that defeats the whole point! Just grab the button and get off the computer!
Personally, I’m going to be unplugging on November 26th and 27th, and December 23-27th. I won’t be on much at all between Christmas and New Years, but I may pop in now and then, since I have to work part of that time anyway.
By the way! For those times when you AREN’T unplugging over the next month or so, there is a great run down at Beth Fish Reads of the ways to connect this holiday season!
Agggggh! (the sound of me choking) I! Just! Don’t! Think! I! Can! Do! It!
I’m actually in mid-December right now for my pre-scheduled posts, and I’m noodling around whether or not to even bother posting over the Christmas holiday. I don’t really want to waste a killer review when nobody is going to read it. However, I don’t want to miss all the great “best of” lists. So maybe that is the best time to have a vacation. Hmmm. Going to have to let that one brew. But thanks for the permission!
.-= Sandy´s last blog ..100 Mile Fitness Challenge Update: November 13 – 19 =-.
What a great idea for this time of year! You just can’t do it all.
Where has this graphic been this past month? LOL! Seriously, I am going to need to use this and I appreciate you coming up with this idea. Lately I’ve been feeling so overwhelmed that I feel like packing it all in. I would never do that, but there is only just so much of me.
Part of what I fear is having to work so hard to bring people back if I am completely out of the picture for long. Having something like this will let everyone know what’s going on. This is such a great idea.
This is a wonderful idea! I was also planning on ‘unplugging’ over Thanksgiving, although it is out of necessity rather than desire, because the house I will be staying at while visiting extended family doesn’t have the internet. Gees, what will I do for four days??? I guess I’ll just have to read LOL. Thanks for the button. I’ll definitely be posting it on my blog a few times this holiday season.
.-= A Bookshelf Monstrosity´s last blog ..Guest Reviewer: Angry Management =-.
I think this is a really good idea–but I wonder if I can bear to leave my blog alone that long! But then again, my main blog is mostly food, and what time of the year do I make more food than the holidays!
I might be grabing this button! I love the idea as we can all use some down time occasionally.
.-= Melissa – Shhh I’m Reading´s last blog ..The Bottom Line, #5 =-.
I think I NEED to do this – and for me, it really IS going to be a challenge! Thanks for helping me feel like it’s OK to dial it down a bit
.
.-= Florinda´s last blog ..Week-End Review: Travels around the blogiverse this week =-.
I’ve been largely off line the past few days and I’ve been feeling terrible for not getting posts up and for not visiting blogs. The fact that my Google reader had 666 posts in it tonight (is that a sign?) made me feel a little sick. But now that you’ve given the okay, I’m feeling much better!
He Jen thanks….now you tell me. I have been in a virtual and physical unplugged state for many months. LOL
Likin’ this idea – I’ll be shutting down over Christmas!
This is a great idea! And it will be … ummm … difficult for some bloggers. Not ME, of course.
By the way, I just linked to your review of The Hunger. Games
Thanks for the link to the plugging-in post! I’m excited about this challenge.
Great idea. I have lots of things coming up for the next week including getting my 50k for nano, writing an art project paper and thanksgiving. Whew. Will be a great time to unplug.
As I mentioned to Candace on her post I try to take a few hours offline each evening and now more than ever I hope to do that. I spend all day at the office online then several hours at home. It might do some good to step away here and there
Great idea!
I should do this. I must think about it.
I admit I thought of those MTV Unplugged shows too. I expected you to pull out an acoustic guitar.
.-= Chris@bookarama´s last blog ..In Defense of Classics =-.
I will be joining you, haven’t set up exactly when, but definitely Thanksgiving Day (which won’t be hard since I’ll be at my parents with dial-up
and Christmas. I will throw in other times as well, especially to…hmmm…read? Yeah, maybe even that. 
I love this post, a gentle reminder that life goes by while we sit in front of our computers. Thanks for the “unplugged” idea, I think I need to do this too!
This is a great idea. I’m going to be unplugged on Saturdays and Sundays in December AND Christmas Eve & Day AND New Year’s Eve & Day. There, that sounds like a plan. I’ll be baking cookies, shopping, decorating the house, visiting and playing for Masses in Church with my family IRL – the same initials I use for Ireland – how cool! I love Ireland.
Happy Holidays!