You must now turn off your computer and go do something productive

Helpful hints to ease internet withdrawal symptoms:
1.   Read a real book, not necessarily a good book, just a book. This will
            absorb time currently spent on the web.

2.    Speak to another person, in person...  then another, and another, etc.

3.    Smile at someone, without using punctuation marks :-)

4.   Shout about something, anything, in the privacy of your home,
            WITHOUT USING CAPS!

5.    Leave your house and go shopping in a store where you can touch the
            item you wish to buy.

5a.   Speak to the salesperson at the store.

6.    Hug somone who needs it, but be careful they may hug you back.

7.    Write someone a letter and send it via regular mail.

7a.  Vow to stop using the expression "snail mail", and stop!

8.    Drive to the post office to mail your letter, the rush you will get will
            replace the one you get from logging onto the internet.

9.    Have an extended converstaion with a group of your friends, while you
            are all in the same room; if you have no friends locally anymore
            then pick a few people randomly from your neighborhood.

10.   Start erasing your bookmarks, a few at a time.

11.   Use your real name when corresponding.
                Who the heck is catbirddogsnale231172665 at AOL anyway?

12.   Take a slow walk in the woods ( especially on a snowy evening).

13.   Wake up and smell the real roses, or the hybiscus, or the pansies.

14.   Play solitaire with another person, on your break at work, or at home.

From:  Margo Husby Scheelar,   University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
Margo <husbyscheelm@home.com>
Get on a real airplane; go to a real city in a real country; tour that
city in person, feeling pavement beneath the feet while experiencing first
hand what life in that city feels like.

Sit inside an old cathedral and let yourself experience history rather
than just read about it.

Visit a zoo or animal park or go on safari where you can see, hear and
smell real animals.

Lie down in a field and watch clouds or stars, experiencing the physical
environment of the outdoors rather than the artificial heat of indoors.

Sit outside and watch a spider spin its web while feeling the heat of the
sun and smelling the dusty summer air.

Touch a spider web. (be sure to check out who lives there first!)

Play cards or Scrabble or hearts or bridge with a real person or, to make
it exciting, with more than one real person.

Attend a concert in person.

Go to a store, purchase a gift and deliver it to someone in person. And
for a real high, make the gift with your own two hands.

Paint a picture using real paint instead of computer graphics.

from:   Susanna Shreeve-    Santa Barbara, California
Native American Voices Circles of Sharing   <susanna@RAIN.ORG>
        I've found getting my feet on the ground literally very helpful:

        wading in streams, watching spring blooms in pots or in the earth
        awaken, stretch & share their blooms fully.

        bringing potted blooming plants indoors helps to restore a natural
        balance for me.

        I built a small creek bed around my patio for winter rain runoff,
        and now play dress-up with my dry creek bed.

        Hiking, which includes close up views of spring things popping
        up out of the earth, and long distance panoramic views are also
        reinvigorating, as well as:
                finding trees to climb, and limbs to lean and swing on;
                stretching out on the ground watching birds swoop at mealtimes;
                early morning walks listening to birdsongs, watching the sunrise;
                easy laughter throughout each day

Sorry we fibbed.....
For those of you who have made it thus far and need a little internet "patch" to help you withdraw more slowly you might try clicking here and starting over.