Unplugging to Reconnect

Since I bought my first device on my 12th birthday, I have started and ended nearly every day with scrolling on my phone. This is a routine many people around the world are likely familiar with: alarm goes off, you groggily search for your phone and turn off the noise, then immediately check your messages or start scrolling on your media app of choice, completely unaware of how much time is passing. Then a similar routine happens in reverse order at the end of the day… repeat, repeat, repeat. I have grown tired of this routine.

I remember learning in high school about the negative effect blue light has on your sleep schedule and circadian rhythms. From that moment, I put on a blue light filter which I found lessened my eye fatigue but it didn’t solve everything entirely. I used to set limits for certain apps but now I’m trying to be even more mindful and catch myself before I get lost in the algorithm. It is hard to do, and I don’t want to know how much time I’ve wasted on the internet. Technology is a great tool, but, like anything else, it can be abused and become harmful. Most of my friends or other young folk I talk to admit they’re addicted to their phones. I see it everywhere. At bus stops, restaurants, shopping centres, and theatres at intermission. It seems we are addicted to an unlimited supply of distractions.

Early on in my first semester at university in 2019, one of the music professors gave a lecture about practicing methods and how we shouldn’t bring our phones into the practice room because of how distracting they are. There’s a clock in every room, so all you need is a good attitude, an instrument, your sheet music, a metronome, and a journal to take notes from your practice session. Every time I left my phone in my dorm or, at the very least, buried it somewhere deep in my backpack, my practice session was way better. Any time my phone is not in the room I am in, I perform a task way better. In the same class, he also suggested we should try to be aware of how quickly we go to take out our phones during a break of time between things, such as between classes or social events. He encouraged us to try being in a public space without our devices in hand, and to sit whatever discomfort that may bring. It wasn’t required homework but I highly respected this particular professor and so I did as he suggested out of genuine curiosity. I still try to do it from time to time. I often feel much more present in my surroundings and sometimes end up making a connection with someone I may not have if I was doomscrolling instead. For that, I am grateful.

A recent very successful method of decreasing my screen time has been the purchase of an alarm clock. I bought one a few weeks ago off of Facebook Marketplace and I already feel the benefits. My mind is clearer in the morning and I typically fall asleep faster. I feel like I have made a wider space between the time I wake up and when I start taking on the tasks of the day. My creative ideas pop up more frequently being more present throughout the day, and I am typically able to see an idea through with enhanced focus. It was such a simple change and I highly encourage you to do the same. I don’t think it’s healthy for any of us to be constantly informed or stimulated the way we are now. If we are the creators of our state of being, then I want to create stillness and presence for myself in the physical world. It’s an ongoing process but I feel at peace with my evolving.

The winter is always quieter time of year, so I have mostly been writing, reflecting, and dreaming up plans, along with teaching private lessons. 2025 was a cool year. I got to travel to Manitoba for the first time for the Winnipeg Folk Festival Young Performers Program, and I went to Ottawa for the first time for Folk Music Canada’s Developing Artist Program. This summer I’m playing at Stan Rogers Folk Festival in Canso, NS as a result of my showcase at Folk Music Canada and I am hopeful to do some more travelling for music. I’ve heard lots about the VIA Rail Artists On Board program but am waiting to see how other things shape up. Could be a fun adventure! Currently, I have a new recorded song almost ready to go out for mastering which I am very happy about. More to share on that soon, but for now, here are a few shows I have coming up in March!

March 6 - Bedford - House Concert with Brett Matthews TICKETS HERE
March 7 & 8 - Dartmouth - Lilith Fair Tribute TICKETS HERE

If you have read my other letters before, you will know I try to include an album of the month. The one I choose for February is Eye of the Storm by Georgia Harmer, but honestly, it has been my album of many months since it came out last summer. My favourite song is the title track - it’s so beautifully written and hits the feels in all the right places. I have been trying to listen to more albums than playlists the last few months which I am loving a lot more. It really puts into perspective how much care and thought the artist put into curating the track order, plus it makes me wonder as a listener and creator what their thought process was like when putting this particular group of songs together. Albums are such a time capsule and I look forward to recording one of my own someday. Maybe more. Time will tell.

Thank you for reading and supporting my journey. I’m limiting my time on social media apps to focus my attention inward so if you want to reach me, comment below! Take good care of each other and give those screens a break (I say as I type on a screen - lol!). Now I’ll leave you with this photo I took of the Valentine’s Day sunset at Peggy’s Cove, NS this past weekend. Can you believe this magic happens everyday?!

Bye for now!

Freya