Day 11: Unplug for the Evening – Reclaiming Peace on a Tough Day

Let’s talk about unplugging. Not forever—just for a little while. Taking a break from the glowing screens that scream for our attention, the endless scroll of information, opinions, and comparison traps. Because sometimes, stepping away isn’t avoidance—it’s a form of healing.

Science agrees. Research has shown that unplugging from digital devices, especially in the evening, can improve sleep quality, reduce anxiety, and even enhance mood and interpersonal connections. The constant stimulation from screens can lead to overstimulation of the brain, keeping us in a low-grade state of stress. Blue light exposure from screens suppresses melatonin production, disrupting sleep cycles. And mentally, the pressure to be “on” all the time—socially, digitally, emotionally—can drain even the strongest of us.

But unplugging gives the mind space to breathe. It allows us to be fully present—in our bodies, in our thoughts, and most importantly, in our relationships.

My Personal Day 11: Unplug for the Evening

Happy Mother’s Day.

Yesterday afternoon and night, my grandbaby was with me for a visit. And that visit, as small as it may seem to others, meant everything.

For those of you who have been following this journey, you know Mother’s Day is bittersweet for me. My mom has been gone 15 years this year, and my son Dakota will have been gone 5. There’s a sharp ache that wraps around this day—an emptiness that’s hard to put into words.

But Dakota, in true Dakota fashion, used to pull me out of my grief every year. He would make me breakfast without fail for the last 10 years of his life. He’d make sure I got out of the house, did something—anything—to celebrate the fact that I was his mom. Whether it was geocaching (once, and never again), going for walks, or just watching movies if the weather was Alberta-level awful, we did it together.

This year, the ache was still there—but so was my grandbaby. And that little soul brings with her a different kind of light. We made a Mother’s Day card for my daughter—bright, colorful, and crayon-smudged all over my coffee table. Totally worth it.

And you know what else? I unplugged. I wasn’t scrolling through social media, reading post after post about Mother’s Day—both the beautiful tributes and the heartbreaking ones. I gave myself the gift of presence. No phone. No computer. Just crayons, laughter, and a very busy toddler.

And when I went to bed that night, I actually slept. No digital noise in my head. No heaviness from comparing or grieving alongside thousands of other posts. Just me, the quiet, and a heart a little fuller than it was when the day began.

The Bottom Line

Unplugging is not about denial—it’s about choosing presence. About stepping away from the noise to reconnect with what’s real, what’s meaningful, and what heals.

If you haven’t unplugged in a while, I encourage you to give it a try—even for one evening. Trust me, TikTok can wait. Your peace of mind cannot.