I was on the elevator a few days ago and an elderly gentleman came on and said to me, ‘What would you young people do without your technology?” I was embarrassed because his one question said so much about something I have been highly conscious of and wanting to change. I responded with my personal truth, “Well, I would be able to make nice conversation with new people. I don’t have a chance to do that when I’m on my phone.”
What would you do without your technology?
You might be saying, ‘I need technology and it’s a part of life. How will I be in touch with my spouse, kids, parents, friends, work, the world?!’ You’re right! Trust me, I can’t get away from technology unless you pry me away (thankfully, no one has done that yet!). And yet, it can clutter up my life no matter how much I love it. One thing’s for sure; I get overwhelmed by all the information coming in all the time. Sometimes I can’t even think for myself anymore.
While we can’t say no to technology (unless you move to Amish country), here’s an easy tip for clearing the technology clutter:
What would you do without your technology?
You might be saying, ‘I need technology and it’s a part of life. How will I be in touch with my spouse, kids, parents, friends, work, the world?!’ You’re right! Trust me, I can’t get away from technology unless you pry me away (thankfully, no one has done that yet!). And yet, it can clutter up my life no matter how much I love it. One thing’s for sure; I get overwhelmed by all the information coming in all the time. Sometimes I can’t even think for myself anymore.
While we can’t say no to technology (unless you move to Amish country), here’s an easy tip for clearing the technology clutter:
Turn Off Notifications - Pick one or two important applications (like email/text) to keep notifications on, and for the rest, turn them off. Whether, your laptop, tablet or smartphone...turn off the notifications that pop up, beep, zing, whatever to grab your attention and just say no to notifications. A friend of mine had so many notifications popping up at her one day - 63 to be exact - that she left the house with two different shoes!
In the book, ‘The 4-Hour Work Week’, Tim Ferris has a policy of checking email only twice a day at 12:00pm and 4:00pm. I personally like to check my apps every few hours when I have some downtime. You can pick a schedule that works for you or just check intermittently. Whatever the case is, catch up on your own time and leisure.
Use this rule of thumb, if it’s critical, leave it on. If not, turn it off until you can really enjoy it. This gives you room to breathe and gives the people you’re communicating with your full love and attention.
In case you want a scientific reason for this: Clifford Nass, a professor at Stanford University, says today's nonstop multitasking actually wastes more time than it saves—and he says there's evidence it may be killing our concentration and creativity too.
Don’t die. Turn Off Notifications.
To A Life Beyond Measure,
Shazia
The Life Engineer
p.s. Know someone who could benefit from this post? Feel free to share it with them! New people are welcome to join anytime and can sign up for the list here.
In the book, ‘The 4-Hour Work Week’, Tim Ferris has a policy of checking email only twice a day at 12:00pm and 4:00pm. I personally like to check my apps every few hours when I have some downtime. You can pick a schedule that works for you or just check intermittently. Whatever the case is, catch up on your own time and leisure.
Use this rule of thumb, if it’s critical, leave it on. If not, turn it off until you can really enjoy it. This gives you room to breathe and gives the people you’re communicating with your full love and attention.
In case you want a scientific reason for this: Clifford Nass, a professor at Stanford University, says today's nonstop multitasking actually wastes more time than it saves—and he says there's evidence it may be killing our concentration and creativity too.
Don’t die. Turn Off Notifications.
To A Life Beyond Measure,
Shazia
The Life Engineer
p.s. Know someone who could benefit from this post? Feel free to share it with them! New people are welcome to join anytime and can sign up for the list here.