Technology is a necessary and valuable part of our daily lives, from enabling us to stay in better touch with colleagues and loved ones to helping us avoid traffic to putting our favorite past-times, from music to movies, in the palms of our hands.
But the old saying, “too much of a good thing,” holds true when it comes to technology. While the benefits are many, leaning in too much to our tech comes with a host of negative consequences, such as eyestrain and sleep issues. By committing to a few simple habits, however, you can add some important balance to your tech-driven life. Try a couple of the following suggestion to start dialing tech usage back:
- Leave your phone behind. While we’ve been programmed to be constantly reachable, that doesn’t always have to be the case. Try leaving your phone at home sometimes in order to truly engage and be present in an activity, such as hiking with a friend or taking the kids to the playground. Provided you’re not in an isolated or remote area, there will always be someone nearby with a phone in case of an emergency. You may just find your phoneless outing quite liberating.
- Use the do-not-disturb setting more liberally. Putting your phone in do-not-disturb mode gives you a break from constant connectedness while letting others know you’re unavailable. Try using this setting when eating at home or dining out, when watching a movie and especially when you’re driving and turning in for the evening. Keep in mind, you can adjust the settings to allow certain notifications and/or callers to come through even when do-not-disturb is enabled.
- Try pen and paper. No doubt, technology in the workplace has taken efficiency and productivity to new levels. To help balance the effects of all-day screen time, however, consider resorting to good old-fashioned pen and paper at certain times throughout the day. Take a notebook to the next meeting for note-taking as opposed to your laptop or tablet. Write your to-do list on a pad that rests on your desk. Send a handwritten note to a client or colleague to say thank you or to simply touch base. And at the beginning or end of the day, express your thoughts—or your creative writing—in a physical journal. Taking the time to weave handwritten communication into your day will not only give your eyes a break, it will tap into your creativity in new ways.
- Get face to face. Text messaging has enabled us to stay in touch with more people more frequently, as well as instantly communicate important information. But like all tech habits, we tend to go overboard. Start making it a habit to spend physical time together with your friends and family, even if it’s just a quick pop-by or cup of coffee at your local barista. Instead of sending an email to a team member, pop over to their desk or schedule a quick meeting. Spending real time with the important people in our lives is critical to our relationships and well-being, and something that a mobile device will never be able to replicate.
There are many other ways you can reduce the amount of time you spend with technology. Get started in one or two small ways and it will open the door to countless other possibilities.
