NEED A TECHNOLOGY DETOX? DO THIS
The other day I was taking an online course on my iPad, checking my email on my computer and texting back friends on my phone—all at the same time! When I realized that I had 3 screens in front of me, I realized I needed a technology detox.
The truth is, at the end of my life (or at the end of the year, to be a little less dramatic) I’ll never say “I wish I spent more time in social media, watching a video and checking my email.” I realized a lot of the time I spend online comes from being mindless. It’s a way to kill time, cure boredom and escape. But I would rather enjoy my time, invite bored and live presently as much as possible.
I want to deliberate where I spend my time and energy. I want to protect my energy so I’m sharing it with people and projects I care about. This is not to say I’m quitting social media, because I see the value in it, but I want to be involved in my terms. My ultimate goal is to have my phone in another room when I go to sleep. Until then, here are 3 things I do to detox from technology.
Turn volume off
I found that one thing that really triggers me is the “ding” of a new text. It’s really hard to have lunch with a friend when I hear “ding, ding, ding”. My instinct is to immediately want to check my phone, and I stop paying attention to what’s right in front of me. Now, every time I’m going to interact with another person, my cell phone volume is off. And it’s also off when I’m at home, needing to unwind. Basically, it’s off most of the time, the only exception is if I’m expecting a phone call from someone.
Move Social Media Applications From the Main Screen
Another thing I’ve done is to move the social media apps from my main screen. This way I have to go to my other screens to actually check my social media, which gives me 2 seconds to be mindful. Just a 2-second courtesy to think again “do you really want to go on social media or are you just bored?’ There’s so much magic in boredom: it’s the catapult for creativity and great ideas, and it’s one of the great ways our intuition speaks to us. Yet we shut it down and don’t that magic happen.
Don’t Post Immediately
If there’s something happening right now that would be cool to post, I just do an Insta Story, because I can afford those 10 seconds of distraction. If I want to do a post, I take the picture but put the phone right down to keep enjoying the moment. Then, when I’m home and I have a bit of time, I write the post, choose the filter, write the hashtags, etc. I see it all the time, instead of enjoying those wonderful moments we’re taking pictures and videos and missing out. There are moments to post and moments to enjoy. Last month I went to my BFF’s wedding in Playa del Carmen and I’m proud to say I barely have any pictures. What I do have of those 4 days are great memories, great conversations and happy moments.
Over to you: what do you do to detox from technology? How did you realize you needed a break?
