Sarah Michelle Gellar, 46, has been thriving on set since early-career cult classics like I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream 2, and an impressive run as Buffy, where she slayed both literally (vampires) and figuratively (her wardrobe, come on!). She even gave us a wink of a throwback to Cruel Intentions’ Kathryn as the headmaster in Do Revenge (~millennial gasp~), and has upcoming projects like RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16 on deck.
This said, the busy actress and producer continues to use her star power for good (she has a reputation for philanthropy) in more ways than one. Today, she’s focused on one particular wellness habit: a nice, healthy tech detox. She’s partnered with UScellular to advocate for today’s Global Day of Unplugging, which is a 24-hour period used to…well, unplug and enjoy the spoils of life without your electronics.
We at Prevention jumped at the opportunity to answer a few burning questions: Do celebrities ever put their phones away? What other habits does she swear by for staying energized and refreshed? It’s admittedly tough to put your cell phone/computer down—especially on a workday—and your personal observance of the holiday (like mine) might just look like making a pledge to unplug at a future date. Gellar knows the struggle all too well.
“Technology helps connect us to what matters most, but we can all agree that sometimes there are unintended consequences when we are overconnected. I’m looking forward to taking a much-needed break from my devices and spending some quality time with my friends and family,” she shared on Instagram.
We sat down quickly with Gellar to talk all things unplugging—benefits, family life, and more:
It’s so hard to get away from your phone: Has there ever been a specific personal catalyst for you want to unplug…even delete apps? Or limit time on the phone?
“We’re becoming more and more digitally connected, and more disconnected from people because it’s so easy to be behind a keyboard...and we don’t make eye contact. I live in the real world, I am not saying that we shouldn’t have devices…they’ve offered great access to advances in science and medicine, but it’s about having a healthier relationship with them.”
She continues, “Our bodies are telling us that we need these [quiet] moments—like when we take a bath and go to bed early. I love that UScellular has this Global Day of Unplugging and just says, ‘OK guys, let’s just take a minute.’ I know with my kids, I can’t expect them to have healthy habits if I don’t. When we have family dinner, there are no phones—they are not allowed. If we’re watching a show together, phones go away. My kids are young, so we take advantage of everything that the phone offers…but we have automatic shut off after a certain amount of time so they have to ask us permission, and they shut off at night so they can go to sleep. When my son first gets his phone (he doesn’t have one yet he will get one when he graduates lower school), they’ll be blocks on websites—it’s about teaching them healthy habits.”
We must know: Are you a person who is constantly on your phone, or sometimes forgets it exists?
“No, I don’t forget it exists. I wish I did, but I don’t. I just have to look at that relationship and make sure that I am giving equal if not more time to the other parts of my life. We go away on vacation as a family, and we are at the beach, and I’m like oh my gosh, I wasn’t on my phone all day, and it feels so good...but it’s not a reality I can do throughout the day. I also have kids. I think about when I went to school…I took two crosstown buses in NYC, and my mom had no idea where I was!”
How do you feel that unplugging can benefit someone’s mental health…anyones, and yours?
“The science is there, and unplugging does help, and it reminds you how much you enjoy those other things. One of my passions is reading. I’ll get lost in a book, and all of a sudden it will be three hours later, and I’ve lost all track of time. But I feel great afterwards. So I try to remember those moments. I don’t put my phone in the bedroom with me at night…to the point where one time my son got sick at a sleepover, and I literally didn’t have my phone. Sorry Rocky! If I take a bath at night, I’ll bring a book in but I won’t bring my phone. I’ll take those real moments. I don’t bring my phone into the gym. I see people all the time…I don’t know anyone else’s story, right maybe they are waiting for a call from a doctor, but I try to take that time unless I am really in an emergency to be able to have those moments.”
Prevention’s digital director has more than a decade of experience editing and strategizing for news and lifestyle publications such as Good Housekeeping, Time Out New York, Time Out New York Kids, Haute Living, and Forbes (previously writing for PureWow, Paste, xoJane, Men’s Fitness, House Beautiful, and Life by Daily Burn among others). She’s happiest when she's elevating a great story with perfect packaging, digging into longform storytelling, or remixing the way we experience reported journalism.
