This woman does not need to worry about social distancing at the moment.
Photo by processingly on Unsplash

Internet Fasting - A Better Way to Achieve Calm

One of the most popular diets in recent times has been Intermittent Fasting. Intermittent Fasting comes in many different forms, but generally, someone abstains from food for 18-24 hours.

Advocates argue that it can improve health and increase weight loss without muscle loss.

Critics say that it can lead to fatigue, dizziness and long-term compliance has a low chance of success.

The research is mixed.

Lately, I wondered about trying the same concept but for my mind.

In Ireland, we’re currently in a pandemic due to Covid19. Under government guidelines, we have little to no social mobility due to the government lock down, so we are confined to minimal social contact except for the brief periods of pleasantries at the Lidl checkout. It’s all for a good cause as we try to protect our most vulnerable.

However, there is a cost to these extended lock downs.

Every day is starting to feel like Groundhog Day, and in a moment of frustration, my fiancé or I suggested plugging out the internet for 24 hours and putting away our smartphones.

The results surprised me.

• Felt calmer and more mindful
• A lot of worries just faded away
• I finished reading a book (read about 125 pages)
• Got inspired to ditch some projects and rethink others

Now we didn’t abstain from screens completely. We still played Zelda on the Nintendo Switch.

When we finally turned on the internet, I didn’t have the same Groundhog Day feeling that I had before the internet fast.

The results have encouraged me to try it again.

Maybe you should try it too if you’re feeling restless.

  1. Switch off the home wifi
  2. Put away your smartphone 
  3. Do anything that does not involve the internet

I’m curious about the benefits of regular internet breaks. If you try it, be sure to tweet me to let me know how you got on.