We web workers who spend most of our waking hours online live a paradoxical life--we are uber connected, infinitely reachable, and almost always available to various people around the globe.
But this perpetual connectedness to other people through the virtual world (IM, email, internet, phone, etc) can often lead to a feeling of being disconnected from what is real. We lose our quiet time, we lose our privacy, and sometimes the technology that is so great at connecting us to folks far away acts as a wall between ourselves and the people in our real everyday life.
We love technology and being connected, but what we're searching for is some balance so that we use technology intelligently but are not controlled by it.
A Digital Day Of Rest
I have to admit, I have dream blogged in the past (had dreams involving blogging), and a month or so ago I heard my first imaginary Skype chimes (you know, when you're far away from your computer and you think you hear the incoming message chime on your IM). When that happened, I knew I had reached a state of digital overload and needed to do something radical to reclaim my brain.
The logical solution was to get some space, step back and remind myself what it was like to be completely unplugged. I decided to implement a secular sabbath, a 24 hour period of time when I was screen free, cell free, IM free, email free, blogging free, and internet free.
If you're interested in implementing your own secular sabbath, here are some guidelines:
- A secular sabbath is a digital day of rest. It can be any day of the week, just whatever works for you. It can be more than 24 hours--you might end up extending it to an entire weekend sometimes.
- You make your own rules. That means you decide what you'll give up. Some people forsake all technology, including phone and TV. Others use it at a "computer turn off" day. It's up to you what you give up, but if you find yourself dreading doing without a particular thing for 24 hours, that's probably a good sign that you need a rest from it :-)
- Remind yourself of the non-tech things you like to do, and do those things. That may sound strange, but for those of us who live by technology, we sometimes forget the simpler pleasures in life--going fishing, knitting, gardening, going to the dog park, having lunch with a friend. Before your secular sabbath write down some things you want to do on that day so that when the withdrawal symptoms hit, you'll have a backup plan.
- Expect withdrawal pains. One way to look at it is if you're experiencing an intense longing for your email or IM or whatever, you're doing the right thing by taking a day away. The symptoms will fade each week that you do this, and you may actually find yourself looking forward to your day of rest.
- Focus on the benefits. A sense of inner calm. Being able to hear yourself think. Reconnecting with family, friends and nature. Rebooting a favorite hobby. All of these are benefits that go along with creating balance in your life.
It was about a month ago that I first unplugged, and I'm not gonna lie--it was tough going at first. I was counting the hours, and had to catch myself a few times when I automatically sat down at the computer with the intention of doing "just a quick check" of email.
But now, a few weeks into this unplugging experiment, I'm loving it. I've noticed that Friday means something to me again--after work on Friday is when my digital sabbath begins. I look forward to it like the finish line at the end of a race, and when I start back to work on Sunday evening or Monday morning, I feel refreshed, more focused, and I think I work more efficiently. Oh, and I also rekindled some past hobbies (painting) and started learning some new ones (I've learned to crochet).
What are your breaking points when you realize that your digital addiction has gotten a little out of control? What do you do to reclaim your equilibrium?
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