On Taking a Tech Break

Last week's retreat to Costa Rica was eye-opening in a number of ways. I had plenty of takeaways--most of them related to learning how to unwind and relax (see June's newsletter for more on this!)--but I think that one of the most important takeaways from this trip didn't really register until I returned and began settling back into my life yesterday. 

That takeaway?  The benefits of being away from technology for a week. I know, I know, this is a hot topic and it's all over the place and many people are probably sick of reading about it/thinking about it, but please, hear me out.

First, let me explain that we were not completely unplugged in Costa Rica. We had wifi in our dining hall and by the pool; I still blogged each day, I checked my email at least 2x each day, checked Facebook and Instagram occasionally, and posted a few social media updates throughout the week. 

But, I couldn't use my phone or computer in my room. I couldn't go to set my alarm at night and then spend the next 30 minutes scrolling through my NewsFeed in bed (I hate this but it always happens!). I couldn't check my email shortly after waking, I couldn't check my phone right after teaching or after my massage or after/while relaxing in a hammock, and when we left the retreat center to go on an excursion, our phones ceased to work--they simply became our cameras. 

On this trip, I was able to go on a technology diet that worked VERY well for my system. I slept like a rock every night, I was fully present with those around me, and I felt very detached from the online world. We had deep conversations that weren't interrupted by phones or alerts. We were able to read or nap or sleep without updates coming in. We handled online issues/posts in batches, all at the same time, instead of all day every day. 

One retreater told me that at home, she had gotten into the habit of waking up in the middle of the night to check her work email--because emails came in from the West Coast office around midnight--and that this trip was weaning her off of that habit. 

It's amazing isn't it, the extent to which we're ruled by our devices? I know it's everywhere, articles saying that our brains are changing, our communication styles are changing, our attention spans are changing, and I have to say that this past week, I really felt it. I felt the difference between a fully plugged-in life and a slightly less plugged-in one. The change was subtle, but as I reflect on my state of being over the past week, I see that it made a big impact. 

Did I go through real withdrawal symptoms the first few days there? Yes, definitely. It took me until about Wednesday (we arrived Saturday) to really settle into this slower pace and to unplug myself,  and knowing that I felt those symptoms is proof enough for me that our technology is addictive and that our fast-paced lifestyles are not good for us. 

So, this week, as I settle back into my regular life, away from fresh coconuts and hammock-lounging and all organic meals prepared by someone else at the same time every day (sigh), I've decided to make the following changes to my tech life, and see how it feels:

• No checking my phone in bed--at night or in the morning. Once I set my alarm I'm done.  
• Turn off all social media alerts. I've disabled the Facebook alerts, the Instagram alerts, the email alerts, and the Twitter alerts on my phone. All I'm getting are texts and phone calls. If I want to check social media, I have to actually open the page and check it. 
• Be more mindful about when and where I pick up/look at my phone, and why I'm doing it. Yesterday (my first day back), I noticed that I was very different in my phone/computer usage than usual, and I want to keep that up. It felt really nice. 
• Turn it off every once in a while. When I'm working on something creative or important or if I'm simply relaxing, I'm going to put my phone on Airplane mode. Crazy, huh? 
  
  

Would you like to join me in making these small changes? I think you'll be amazed by the freedom and space that you find when taking a step back from technology.

Want to take it a step further? Start scheduling a tech-free day oncer per week. Again, pretty life-changing if you can make it happen. I may try to do this on Sundays, if I can...