Unplugging doesn’t have to be a digital detox retreat with detox juice.
“Meal Prepping for the Emotionally Unavailable”
(Subtitle: Mostly snacks. Zero commitment.)
Alternate Title: How I Know It’s Time to Unplug (and Eat Crackers for Dinner)
Let me paint the scene:
I’m sitting on the floor, eating hummus with a spoon.
My phone just told me my screen time is “up 36%.”
And Canva? Yeah, she’s frozen again.
That’s when I know — it’s time to unplug.
🚩 Red flags that I need to disconnect:
I try to answer a student’s question by saying “same” I tell my friend I’m “so offline right now” via WhatsApp I keep “meal prepping” by putting a family-size pack of rice cakes in my tote bag and calling it intentional
Unplugging isn’t cute and organized.
It’s mostly me walking around my apartment in a claw clip and mismatched socks,
eating olives out of the jar like a Mediterranean cryptid.
💡 So what do I actually do?
I put my phone in airplane mode and pretend I’m unreachable like I’m Beyoncé in 2010. I make “snack plates” that are 60% vibes, 20% crackers, and 20% shame cheese. I stop replying to emails that start with “Just following up” because babe, I’m following out. I sit outside and act like I’m healing even if I’m just watching a cat yell at a pigeon.
🎒 Why? Because I’m tired.
Tired from being a language teacher.
Tired from explaining why “He go” is not grammatically okay.
Tired from being available to everything except myself.
So sometimes, unplugging just looks like:
Ignoring my phone Eating weird combinations of carbs Not folding laundry And letting that be okay.
TL;DR:
Unplugging doesn’t have to be a digital detox retreat with detox juice.
Sometimes it’s just saying:
“I’m emotionally unavailable to everything except snacks, sleep, and a little peace.”
And honestly?
That might be the healthiest meal prep I’ve ever done.
Coming Soon in The Real Girl Diaries:
“How to Romanticize Life When Your Planner is Empty and So Are Your Cabinets”
RETRO CHIC REVIVAL 