By Junie | Thoughts of Junie
There’s a quiet moment that sneaks up on me sometimes. It’s not loud or dramatic—just a subtle shift in the air. I find myself rereading the same sentence three times, scrolling mindlessly through apps without knowing what I’m looking for, or feeling an odd sense of exhaustion even though I haven’t left my chair in hours. That’s when I know: it’s time to unplug.
But if I’m being honest, I don’t always listen right away. I push through, telling myself I just need to finish one more thing. One more email, one more post, one more task. It’s easy to mistake productivity for progress, but lately I’ve learned that burnout doesn’t always come with warning bells. Sometimes it whispers.
I used to think “unplugging” meant a grand escape—turning off all devices and disappearing into the woods or something equally poetic. But these days, I’ve learned it’s less about a dramatic exit and more about small, intentional pauses. Unplugging can be closing my laptop at 6 p.m. and actually meaning it. It can be taking a walk without music or podcasts, just letting the sounds of the world come to me unfiltered. Sometimes, it’s writing in my journal by candlelight or cooking something slow and simple.
The key is noticing the signs. When my creativity feels forced, when I can’t hear myself think over the digital noise, when connection begins to feel like consumption—I take a step back. Not because I have the luxury of always checking out completely, but because I owe it to myself to tune in to what matters.
To make it happen, I set small boundaries. I put my phone on Do Not Disturb for an hour. I move apps off my home screen. I set a timer and give myself permission to just be. And often, I rediscover how much life exists outside the screen—how much beauty there is in quiet, in stillness, in the parts of me that don’t require Wi-Fi.
So if you’re reading this and wondering if it’s time to unplug… it probably is. And that’s okay. You don’t have to go far. Just far enough to find yourself again.
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Let’s chat:
How do you know when it’s time to unplug? What does your version of “off” look like? Share your thoughts in the comments or journal it out for yourself. Either way, I hope you find a little peace today.
With love,
Junie 🌿
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