Can you put down all the technology and just be? Hang out old school before they had cell phones, tablets and the internet. Find a bit of peace and quiet. It’s called a digital detox and yes, you can!
Just like a computer we need to recharge and reboot. A colleague mentioned that her friends go off camping in remote locations so they can get away from the never ending notifications, email and digital world. What type of businesses did they have? They were in the tech field and social media marketing experts. They had to go off hiking into the wilderness to get off-line and peace. They called camping their digital detox.
Here’s the steps you can take for your own digital detox:
Choose the technology-You need to decide what you’re going to switch off. You’ll want to try all of it and go cold turkey. That includes phones, tablets, computers, laptops, smart watches and anything else that rings, blings or dings.
Choose the amount of time-You need to decide how long you’re going to switch off. Most people start with a full 24 hours. Weekends, holidays and vacations are a good time to give a digital detox a try. If you are really hooked you might choose an afternoon or a morning. If you’re totally addicted, try an hour or two.
Choose activities-Create a list of all the things you want to do sans any technology-hikes, nature, reading. Trust me, your going to want to grab your phone and all the other tech you use to keep your hands busy. Have a plan.
Choose the people-Make sure to let people know that you are doing a digital detox. Get your auto responder on your email ready to go in advance. Make a plan with co-workers, family and friends if they need to contact you for an emergency.
Choose to go slow-Ease back into the digital world. Know that you may need to handle more email and get to a variety of responses. It may feel overwhelming. Set aside time to respond and take the time to ease back into your work.
Letting go of checking in with technology and getting to a more quiet space in your life is a particular kind of heaven. If a digital detox is something that is appealing to you and you give it a try. Let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear about your success.
Can’t do this Digital Detox alone? Coach with Margo Crawford. She is a Productivity Coach with Wave Productivity. Coaching entrepreneurs, small business owners and business professionals to help them get more focused, organized and productive in their workplace. She serves Phoenix-Arizona, Providence-Rhode Island and Boston-Massachusetts in person and nationally coaching by phone. If you want to unplug and still stay productive and organized call 602-677-8275 or email [email protected] for a consultation.