Disconnecting to Reconnect

I think that all of us have seen someone in the halls wearing headphones. Maybe it was a stranger, a friend, or maybe it was you. It’s always nice to get a few moments of peace and quiet before that next class, to recharge a bit before having to get back to learning.

Something that I really needed to learn was to let myself disconnect. Being around 2,000 people a day while taking in  learning, grades, homework, clubs, work, and everything else that’s going on isn’t exactly easy to do for everyone.

As someone who has anxiety, and has suffered from severe amounts, being able to disconnect by putting my earbuds in and playing a song can distract me from the crowded halls, the growing list of assignments, or even my own thoughts.

Learning to disconnect from stressful things for a bit can improve my interactions with other people around me, and how I feel. It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you, I just have social anxiety, and music is a great way to easily disconnect, so I can recharge. Music also helps me concentrate, so I stop talking, or get work done.

Music for me is a form of auditory stimulation I get, which comforts me. Being in silent rooms or spaces is just uncomfortable for me, so music provides me with noise so I don’t get uncomfortable. Listening to music often helps me do better in class as well, by improving my concentration and blocking out unwanted background noise.

Music has even helped me in the darkest of places, when I notice a favorite artist has written a song about their anxiety or feelings. It makes me feel less alone, in a way, hearing that makes me feel like I’m not the only one going through these depths.

Listening to music while doing art, going on a walk, doing homework, cooking, or just doing whatever helps me a lot mentally.

I think a lot of people listen to music to disconnect the same way I do. Whether clearing their head before working on an assignment, or a project, or homework, disconnecting is so helpful in so many ways, even if you don’t have anxiety, or aren’t an introvert, disconnecting can energize people 

With the new phone policy, and teachers not permitting phones or earbuds, even during work time, it’s been a bit harder to do this. I fully understand and respect the policy, but the lack of ability to disconnect has caused me some extra levels of stress. Even though I find music helpful, no one can use their phones in class, even for worktimes.

Not every kid with headphones on is trying not to be in school. Kids like myself are trying to be in school, and learn, and listening to music helps them be present. For me, personally, music helps me to concentrate. 

But too much disconnecting can get in the way of interactions. I notice I make more friends in classes where we’re not allowed to have headphones, although disconnecting is important, interactions are equally so. People recharge in different ways, and I have no issue being alone, but it’d be rude to think the same of everyone else. Nowadays, people have been feeling more disconnected, even in this school there’s extroverts who feel alone, when so many people have headphones in all the time.

While disconnecting is good, doing it too much can socially isolate a person. At one point, I just did it all the time, and it got to the point where I felt really alone. That’s not good for a person, because even for introverts, humans are inherently social creatures. Having social interaction is a part of being human. Without it, it can cause a lot of problems. Disconnecting should allow for a recharge to get back into interactions, and what you have to face throughout the day, not a way of avoiding problems or social interactions.

The most important thing, though, is that it’s OK to disconnect. As the sticker one of my friends snuck into my pocket said, “Self-Care Isn’t Selfish.” Disconnecting can help me connect better with those around me, and it isn’t selfish to disconnect sometimes.