Unplugging at The Barn at Bhakti Manor

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If I made a list of all the things I do as a business owner, band manager and mama, your head would spin. Heck, mine does most of the time.

I thought I had a pretty solid handle on how I was balancing it all until iPhone shared that handy little screen time thing. Well, let’s say I felt sick.

JUST FREAKING YIKES! 61 HOURS A WEEK ON JUST MY PHONE. THIS DOESN’T INCLUDE TIME AT MY DESK!

Well, I knew I had to do something ASAP. That amount of screen time would eventually lead me to my least favorite spot, burnout. When my hubby had a show in North Carolina, I knew I needed to tag along and spend some time in the mountains.

Y’all….let me just tell you, I will be going back. I did something crazy when packing. I left my laptop at home. Yes, on my desk. It stayed here a whole weekend. Two states away. On our way to North Carolina, I was having some slight heart palpitations. I kept that to myself. But I felt like an addict jonesing for their next fix. I felt naked. Vulnerable. Nervous. Afraid my business would magically go up in flames during those whole 48 hours away.

& that’s exactly why I needed the time away. That’s why I needed a vacation from my tech and hide away in the mountains.

*Fact* It wouldn’t have mattered if I brought the laptop because my service was terrible out there. Major blessing. T-mobile problems. Hubs had no cell problems up there.

Y’all, the cabin we stayed in was everything I needed. Gorgeous piano. Comfy beds. Coffee at the ready. Cute porch swings. No tech. Just a wall full of books. Flowers. Comfort. Exactly what I needed.

So much of our lives is spent working. We have this hard time putting the technology down. More on how we’re working on being less techy as a family later. While my screen time is down a few percent, I’m still spending close to 50 hours a week on my phone alone working, answering emails, checking social media to see the latest thing I’ve been tagged in, etc.

Recently, an article made an appearance on BuzzFeed about burnout which prompted my own burnout story. I knew all time spent working would put me back in the emergency room. I’ve done it too many times.

Which is why I felt so strongly about needing a break. Let me tell you what happened when I unplugged for a few days.

• Business stayed afloat

• I had this incredible weekend with my new hubby

• A sense of renewal

• New appreciation for my business and the freedom it can and does bring me

• Intense happiness

• Clarity in my business

• Clarity about my personal life

• Relaxation

• Laughter

• Deeper connections with the person I love

• Made new lifelong friends in the cabin owners, Debra and Richard

• Puppy snuggles

Snuggling Bhakti. I have to get in puppy snuggles everywhere I go. I was really missing my pooches. Good thing the Barn at Bhakti Manor is dog-friendly. Leo & Lola will be joining next time!

Debra, the amazing cabin owner. She is a rockstar and when you stay at The Barn at Bhakti Manor, be sure to give her a call. She has the best brunch suggestions and is just generally the warmest, friendliest woman I’ve met.

The need to unplug was exactly what I needed because I came back from my trip refreshed and excited to tackle projects. I promise if you step away from your business, your business will still be there. The leads will still be coming in. The world won’t stop turning. Things will be okay. If anything, they’ll be drastically better. I promise.

Stepping away can make all the difference. Going away for a weekend gave me a chance to miss the kids. Get clear on my business. Connect with the hubs as a couple and not just a couple of parents. Disconnecting did wonders for all of my personal relationships.

I stopped burnout in its tracks and that’s something we can all use. With so many millennials reporting the feeling of burnout, we need to step away. Being constantly connected has left us exhausted, stressed and overworked. We spend so much time comparing ourselves to others because of how connected we all are.

Unplugging gave me space to exist in my world without the jealousy lens on. I could free think about all the things without pressure to see what everyone else was doing and working on. Way too often we’re looking at the digital space and living life through images, videos and what others and saying/doing when life is happening right in front of you if you pause and unplug.

We had this incredible breakfast at a local farm to table restaurant, Yonder Cafe. P.S. I have a super cute sticker from them on my laptop now.

This super cute waterfall at The Barn at Bhakti Manor. It was so peaceful and beautiful in the morning before we left.

Snuggling with the hubs, Glenn Price, on the porch at The Barn at Bhakti Manor. So thankful for a life that allows us to get away sometimes.

If you’re headed to the Mountains of North Carolina, I cannot recommend the Barn at Bhakti Manor enough! You can check them out below. Be sure to tell them Ashley sent you 🙂 Also, I dropped their social media below!