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3 THINGS WITH A TEAM MEMBER: HOW I UNPLUG
We love looking to the experts for answers on everything from exercise to nutrition. But when it comes to inspiration, we don’t need to look any further than our B3 community. Content Manager Malia Barnes is the perfect example. Despite (or maybe as a result of?) being a key part of the B3 social-media team, she’s a master at unplugging. We talked to her about her commitment to unplugging, and asked her to share few of her favorite ways to get off the social-media grid.
B3 MAGAZINE: Most of us say we want to unplug, but we have a hard time actually following through. How have you been able to commit to getting off the grid?
MALIA: Being an England native, I rely on my phone, or being “plugged in,” to stay connected with my family overseas. I love that about it. But my phone has baggage. It’s a shopping-list graveyard and endless pit of junk emails. A home for social media apps, and unused apps to monitor my time on said social media apps. It’s a source of distracting notifications of all sorts (but mostly from Mint and tell me I’m exceeding my coffeeshop budget for the week).
B3 MAGAZINE: What benefits do you gain from unplugging? Is it worth it?
MALIA: There’s a common—and very achievable—theme to all the ways I unplug: being in a “flow” state. It essentially means losing oneself in an activity you can do with little to no thinking. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi gives a Ted Talk about how getting even a quick five minutes of this “flow” state can improve one’s happiness. The beauty in finding mental stillness through flow is that there’s usually little to no extra spending past the initial investment—instruments cost money and paints run out—but there’s no question these are investments into a more fulfilling life.
B3 MAGAZINE: OK, let’s hear it: What are your three favorite ways to unplug?
MALIA:
I HIT THE ROAD. Any kind of drive requires a ton a focus of course, so using a phone is out of the question. I keep a composition book in the driver’s side door because some my best creative ideas come to me on these adventures. That way when I get to a nice spot I can jot down my thoughts. I tend toward long drives with little traffic and beautiful scenery. My favorite route is the Palms to Pines HWY, the eastern portion of HWY 74 in Southern California. It starts in Palm Desert and ascends (very rapidly) through Mt. San Jacinto State Park. The landscape changes from sand with the occasional palm tree to towering and densely crowded pines. It’s magic.
I PRACTICE MY BRUSH STROKES. I decided maybe three years ago that I wanted to learn to watercolor, so I bought entry-level supplies at Michaels and practiced by painting anything and everything: sunglasses, words, shoes, flying horses (an attempt at saving a misshapen heart), and what’s become my favorite, planets. I took a break for a few months, and just last week I started painting them again, this time large-scale. I was nervous at first but I’ve found it even more therapeutic. Working large-scale is an interesting life parallel—while checking boxes on a to-do list of small tasks leaves a sense of accomplishment, slowly working away at daunting, big-picture obstacles is both rewarding and empowering.
I LOSE MYSELF IN MUSIC. Music was central in my family growing up. In my mental pictures of my dad, he has a bass guitar in hand or is stooping over the keyboard. Long car rides meant singing along to Enya (definitely made up 99% of the words) or Bruce Springsteen. As a kid I spent hours practicing for piano lessons, and we regularly saw musicals in London. I think all of this exposure is why music is my favorite way to unplug. These days I’ll go to small shows or tinker with the piano or ukulele. Can I actually “play” either instrument? Debatable. But skill level doesn’t matter. It’s just the act of getting into that flow state by playing or listening that helps me unplug.
Do you have a favorite way to unplug? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
We love looking to the experts for answers on everything from exercise to nutrition. But when it comes to inspiration, we don’t need to look any further than our B3 community. Content Manager Malia Barnes is the perfect example. Despite (or maybe as a result of?) being a key part of the B3 social-media team, she’s a master at unplugging. We talked to her about her commitment to unplugging, and asked her to share few of her favorite ways to get off the social-media grid.
B3 MAGAZINE: Most of us say we want to unplug, but we have a hard time actually following through. How have you been able to commit to getting off the grid?
MALIA: Being an England native, I rely on my phone, or being “plugged in,” to stay connected with my family overseas. I love that about it. But my phone has baggage. It’s a shopping-list graveyard and endless pit of junk emails. A home for social media apps, and unused apps to monitor my time on said social media apps. It’s a source of distracting notifications of all sorts (but mostly from Mint and tell me I’m exceeding my coffeeshop budget for the week).
B3 MAGAZINE: What benefits do you gain from unplugging? Is it worth it?
MALIA: There’s a common—and very achievable—theme to all the ways I unplug: being in a “flow” state. It essentially means losing oneself in an activity you can do with little to no thinking. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi gives a Ted Talk about how getting even a quick five minutes of this “flow” state can improve one’s happiness. The beauty in finding mental stillness through flow is that there’s usually little to no extra spending past the initial investment—instruments cost money and paints run out—but there’s no question these are investments into a more fulfilling life.
B3 MAGAZINE: OK, let’s hear it: What are your three favorite ways to unplug?
MALIA:
I HIT THE ROAD. Any kind of drive requires a ton a focus of course, so using a phone is out of the question. I keep a composition book in the driver’s side door because some my best creative ideas come to me on these adventures. That way when I get to a nice spot I can jot down my thoughts. I tend toward long drives with little traffic and beautiful scenery. My favorite route is the Palms to Pines HWY, the eastern portion of HWY 74 in Southern California. It starts in Palm Desert and ascends (very rapidly) through Mt. San Jacinto State Park. The landscape changes from sand with the occasional palm tree to towering and densely crowded pines. It’s magic.
I PRACTICE MY BRUSH STROKES. I decided maybe three years ago that I wanted to learn to watercolor, so I bought entry-level supplies at Michaels and practiced by painting anything and everything: sunglasses, words, shoes, flying horses (an attempt at saving a misshapen heart), and what’s become my favorite, planets. I took a break for a few months, and just last week I started painting them again, this time large-scale. I was nervous at first but I’ve found it even more therapeutic. Working large-scale is an interesting life parallel—while checking boxes on a to-do list of small tasks leaves a sense of accomplishment, slowly working away at daunting, big-picture obstacles is both rewarding and empowering.
I LOSE MYSELF IN MUSIC. Music was central in my family growing up. In my mental pictures of my dad, he has a bass guitar in hand or is stooping over the keyboard. Long car rides meant singing along to Enya (definitely made up 99% of the words) or Bruce Springsteen. As a kid I spent hours practicing for piano lessons, and we regularly saw musicals in London. I think all of this exposure is why music is my favorite way to unplug. These days I’ll go to small shows or tinker with the piano or ukulele. Can I actually “play” either instrument? Debatable. But skill level doesn’t matter. It’s just the act of getting into that flow state by playing or listening that helps me unplug.
Do you have a favorite way to unplug? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
