National Day Of Unplugging: Disconnecting With The Phone, Reconnecting With Life

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Did you know that today is the "National Day of Unplugging?"

It's a day to disconnect from your devices and see what else is going on in the world.

It sounds easy enough, but for most of us, it's not that easy.

The more connected you are, the tougher the task.

"It's also just part of what we do every day," said Dr. Gary Swanson, a behavioral health specialist.

Dr. Swanson also said that it's still a bit excessive.

"Kids eight to 12 are spending about four to six hours a day on. Teens are spending nine hours a day on the screen," he said.

He added that it doesn't suddenly stop once we become adults. It becomes a tool we use for work and a way to stay connected with friends and family.

"That makes sense," Dr. Swanson said. "You're gonna have some connections there but too much of it gets in the way."

It certainly gets in the way of normal interactions and we know it, too.

"I've been trying a little bit to stay off social media," said one Duquesne University student we talked to. "I think it's been good for everyone mentally you know, just refreshing to get started with what you want to do."

However, going cold turkey on a single day...really?

"Unplugging isn't necessarily the way I would go," he explained. "Certainly reducing it to one hour or so a day. That'll be hard enough for people who are spending nine hours a day on screen."

Dr. Swanson said you can trade the screen time for some green time and head outside!

Too much screen time, according to Dr. Swanson, can lead to things we don't necessarily realize: lack of sleep, mood swings controlled by the electronic input, and weight gain, just to name a few.

These days, outside of work, if you aren't online in some form, it feels like the world is passing you by. That certainly is the societal pressure felt by many, but those who have reduced their screen time and electronic footprints, say it's freeing and find themselves happier.

That said, the "what am I missing" question cuts both ways - what are we all missing when we're distracted by our connections?

WATCH: National Day Of Unplugging

Disconnect and you might find out.

Whether it's at home or in a restaurant, Dr. Swanson advocates for unplugging.

"Especially at dinner time To have dinner together as a family everybody's phones are off," he said. "People can interact with each other."

For Verity Stevens, she found her phone to be addicting.

"It just sucks me in and then I'm there for hours and I don't know where the time went," she recalled.

That is...until she lost her phone a couple of months ago and chose not to replace it.

"I love not having it," she said.

While the world around her is swallowed up in their bandwidths, Verity is unincumbered.

"I feel a little more mindful and grounded," she explained. "Then you're a little more intentional when it comes down to it, there is so much information all the time. Do we need an onslaught every day? No, we can kind of curate our experiences."

Dr. Swanson says it's possible, even if you don't lose your phone like Verity.

"A lot easier to do once you do it," he said. "Many people report they feel better having limited or cut down some of that stuff."

So, what better time to try than National Unplugging Day?

"Friday is a great day to unplug, go have a fish sandwich somewhere and talk with your family or with your friends," Swanson added.

While Verity doesn't have the phone anymore, she does have a laptop that she uses to get information when she needs it.

Where can you start the unplugging process?

The experts say turn off your devices and put them in a drawer so they are out of sight.

If you must use a device, set a timer on how long you're going to use it and live by that.