How to completely disconnect over the Thanksgiving weekend

How to completely disconnect over the Thanksgiving weekendHow to completely disconnect over the Thanksgiving weekendAlong with resisting the urge to over-indulge over Thanksgiving will also be the added challenge of trying your best not to tune out your family by obsessively checking your phone.According to a study last year by technology services company Asurion, Americans check their phones about once every 12 minutes- or 80 times a day. But wait, it gets worse. Many people are ruder than ever.In a November 2018 study on cell phone etiquette, Asurion found that most people are sorely lacking in basic conversation etiquette, with about 45% admitting to talking, texting or checking their phones in a public bathroom. Added to that, nearly 60% of adults admit to pulling out their phones at the table while out eating or drinking with others. Of those, 75% said their table companions didnt mind. But we should mind. Heres why. Conversation is a lost art. People seem to be having a harder time connecting in person, and it shows.If youve ever struggled to answer a question during an interview or even to make small talk with a stranger, youre not alone. MIT professor Sherry Turkle, author of the bestselling book Reclaiming Conversation The Power of Talk in the Digital Age has written about how our reliance on technology has impacted, if not harmed, our ability to empathize. Like smokers who smell of nicotine even without a cigarette in hand, those who are overly tech-reliant can sometimes seem out of touch in person.And lest you think youre the only one, you arent. The weekend before Thanksgiving,Not a Cellphone in Sightwelches trending on Twitter along with wistful or hilarious memes.Convinced you should at least try to take a longer tech break? Try thisDont do it alone Theres nothing worse than trying to make a huge change in your life only to find everyone else in your orbit still committed to your former bad habit. Ask your family or spouse or friends to go tech-fr ee along with you, even just for a single meal. And then feel free to mock each other mercilessly as you start to twitch and cringe and desperately miss your phones.Create a backup plan (or person) Decide in advance how much time you plan on being off-line or away from your tech toys. Create an autoresponder and dont include an emergency contact number unless it cant be avoided. If you have a co-worker who will be working over the holiday weekend, consider having all your urgent issues diverted.Treat yo self Do you love jigsaw puzzles? Or maybe youre an avid home cook with no time to indulge. Find something you love but have been neglecting, and indulge over the holiday weekend. Youd be amazed at just how much creative time you can find if youre not constantly checking for email.And it isnt just giving something up. Youll gain not just time to recharge and have fun, but long-term benefits.Your anxiety level might drop Berkley News reports that Extreme angst is on the rise nationally and globally, especially among teens and millennials. Among other factors, preliminary findings from UC Berkeley sleep researchers point to a chronic lack of deep restorative sleep.The study also presents a link between sleep and anxiety. UC Berkeley neuroscientists Matthew Walker and Eti Ben Simon report that non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep plays a key role in calming the overactive brain, especially in the brain regions that process and regulate emotions. Ben Simon said, The mora time you spend in deep non-REM sleep, the less anxious you are in the morning.So, at the very least silencing your phone, or choosing to leave it in the next room overnight means chances are good youll sleep better and wake up less anxious. Cant ignore your phone entirely? Consider changing your settings so only your closest relatives calls come through in case of emerg