--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes you have to disconnect to stay…" description: "\"Sometimes you have to disconnect to stay connected. Remember the old days when you had eye contact during a conversation? When everyone wasn't looking ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/979/regina-brett-3890_big-picture_sometimes-you-have-to-disconnect-to-stay_809885.png" --- # Sometimes you have to disconnect to stay connected… ![“Sometimes you have to disconnect to stay connected. Remember the old days when you had eye contact during a conversation? When everyone wasn't looking down at a device in their hands? We've become so focused on that tiny screen that we forget the big picture, the people right in front of us.” quote by Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/979/regina-brett-3890_big-picture_sometimes-you-have-to-disconnect-to-stay_809885.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/979/regina-brett-3890_big-picture_sometimes-you-have-to-disconnect-to-stay_809885.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/979/regina-brett-3890_big-picture_sometimes-you-have-to-disconnect-to-stay_809885.png) > “Sometimes you have to disconnect to stay connected. Remember the old days when you had eye contact during a conversation? When everyone wasn't looking down at a device in their hands? We've become so focused on that tiny screen that we forget the big picture, the people right in front of us.” [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns that constant digital distraction erodes genuine human connection and presence. **In simple terms:** Too much screen time harms real-life relationships. Key Takeaway Limit device use to foster deeper personal interactions. Themes technology communication relationships Mood concerned hopeful Type advice reflective When to use this quote - family meals - team meetings - social gatherings - dating Key Concepts digital distraction mindfulness presence Questions to Reflect On - What moments do you sacrifice for screen time? - How can you create tech‑free zones? A Different Perspective Balancing connectivity and disconnection is challenging in a hyperconnected world. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big picture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-picture/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Connected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connected/) [Connected Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connected-remember-242771/) [Contact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contact/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Devices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devices/) [Disconnect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disconnect/) [Disconnect Stay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disconnect-stay-242773/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Eye contact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye-contact/) [Focused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focused/) [Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Old days](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-days/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Stay Connected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stay-connected-242772/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Tiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tiny/) ## Related quotes > [Whatever your writing is about, you're really connected with it, and you can always go back to when that was. I remember everything, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-van-etten/whatever-your-writing-is-about-you-re-really-connected-with-it-and/) [Sharon Van Etten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-van-etten/) > [The important thing is to try to stay connected with friends and family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-walker/the-important-thing-is-to-try-to-stay-connected-with-friends-and/) [Shannon Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-walker/) > [I'll always stay connected with Apple. I hope that throughout my life I'll sort of have the thread of my life and the thread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-ll-always-stay-connected-with-apple-i-hope-that-throughout-my-life/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [FRIENDSHIP is like the hands of a clock.. though were in thesame clock,we don't always meet but the most important thing is that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/friendship-is-like-the-hands-of-a-clock-though-were-in-thesame-clock/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't overcomplicate God's will. Just stay connected to Jesus. Love Him. Look into His eyes. He will lead. Follow. Repeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/don-t-overcomplicate-god-s-will-just-stay-connected-to-jesus-love-him/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) > [I stay connected in my head. I'm spiritually and psychologically connected to African-Americans. They are my people, and that will never change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assata-shakur/i-stay-connected-in-my-head-i-m-spiritually-and-psychologically/) [Assata Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assata-shakur/) > [As long as you love each other ,there is no impossible that you stay connected .it doesn't matter how far apart you are.when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla/as-long-as-you-love-each-other-there-is-no-impossible-that-you-stay/) [Carla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla/) > [You can only stay connected if you feel connected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/you-can-only-stay-connected-if-you-feel-connected/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [I admire those that keep Shabbat every week and do not allow anything to interfere with it. It is such a beautiful way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-richards/i-admire-those-that-keep-shabbat-every-week-and-do-not-allow-anything/) [Kyle Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-richards/) > [We all need to be reminded to stay connected to the essence of who we are, to take care of ourselves along the way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/we-all-need-to-be-reminded-to-stay-connected-to-the-essence-of-who-we/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [You just keep yourself updated, stay connected and do your networking well enough to stay relevant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dino-morea/you-just-keep-yourself-updated-stay-connected-and-do-your-networking/) [Dino Morea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dino-morea/) > [Stay as connected as you can. Sometimes that means you're going to do a job that may not pay you much but may give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stokes-mitchell/stay-as-connected-as-you-can-sometimes-that-means-you-re-going-to-do/) [Brian Stokes Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stokes-mitchell/) > [Instagram was the first one I jumped on to, and I realized it's more about checking in with your friends and seeing what they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-hudgens/instagram-was-the-first-one-i-jumped-on-to-and-i-realized-it-s-more/) [Vanessa Hudgens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-hudgens/) > [As we all become increasingly reliant on social networking websites and new technologies to stay connected, it's important to remain cognizant of how private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/as-we-all-become-increasingly-reliant-on-social-networking-websites/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [Music has influenced my life and is one of the most treasured things for me. It speaks a universal language and for me, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananya-birla/music-has-influenced-my-life-and-is-one-of-the-most-treasured-things/) [Ananya Birla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananya-birla/) ## More by Regina Brett > [“Wouldn't it be great if health-care plans included a list of Buddhist monks among the network providers?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/wouldn-t-it-be-great-if-health-care-plans-included-a-list-of-buddhist/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > ['Star Trek' never grabbed me. Every time I hear about Klingons, I think of those little lint balls that stick to your clothes in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/star-trek-never-grabbed-me-every-time-i-hear-about-klingons-i-think/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [Eating something fresh out of the oven is like a hug you can taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/eating-something-fresh-out-of-the-oven-is-like-a-hug-you-can-taste/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [Choas will come, calm will follow, and then it will start up all over again. 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Which do you prefer?...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/there-were-two-kinds-of-women-those-who-wear-nail-polish-and-those/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [“My life used to be like that game of freeze tag we played as kids. Once tagged, you had to freeze in the situation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/my-life-used-to-be-like-that-game-of-freeze-tag-we-played-as-kids/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/if-a-relationship-has-to-be-a-secret-you-shouldn-t-be-in-it/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [My daughter had carried within her a story that kept hurting her: Her dad abandoned her. She started telling herself a new story. Her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/my-daughter-had-carried-within-her-a-story-that-kept-hurting-her-her/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/make-peace-with-your-past-so-it-won-t-screw-up-the-present/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [Forgive everyone everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/forgive-everyone-everything/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [Going through chemo is like investing money in a retirement account. You feel the hit right now, but later in life you get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/going-through-chemo-is-like-investing-money-in-a-retirement-account/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) > [When I turned 45, I lay in bed reflecting on all life had taught me. My soul sprang a leak and ideas flowed out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-brett/when-i-turned-45-i-lay-in-bed-reflecting-on-all-life-had-taught-me-my/) [Regina Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) [Explore all 120 Regina Brett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-brett/) ## More Big picture quotes > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [Learn to see the big picture. Often times we get tunnel vision and lose sight of the big picture and what we're really trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cheeke/learn-to-see-the-big-picture-often-times-we-get-tunnel-vision-and/) [Robert Cheeke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cheeke/) > [“Everything's a painting, anyway," Fawn said. 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His sense of humor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padmasree-warrior/my-mom-taught-me-the-power-of-love-i-learned-to-focus-on-the-long/) [Padmasree Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padmasree-warrior/) > [Sometimes we find ourselves stumbling over obstacles we face today but always see the big picture and keep moving forward. Have faith - someday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-krause/sometimes-we-find-ourselves-stumbling-over-obstacles-we-face-today/) [Tom Krause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-krause/) > [I think that the fact of the matter is that metal isn't really part of the big picture of the gay, lesbian, transgender music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-halford/i-think-that-the-fact-of-the-matter-is-that-metal-isn-t-really-part/) [Rob Halford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-halford/) > [I am a bigger-picture manager because I've lived through something that's a big picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/i-am-a-bigger-picture-manager-because-i-ve-lived-through-something/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [“I suppose that was an example of close attention to detail that is common to writers and artists. 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