Who’s in charge?
It’s funny how certain modern devices can control us – if we let them.
The now ubiquitous cell phone (remember when you first got one and said you were only going to use it for urgent matters?) is now attached to us as if it were a vital organ, necessary for survival. I speak from experience.
More than our credit card, it’s our phone we wouldn’t leave home without. Forget it at home and we feel half naked.
Sadly these days, it’s a device we most often interact with during the day, not a person.
That’s not to say our electronic gadgets aren’t useful.
For one thing, they enable us to have an expanded network of people with whom we can stay in touch. Hey, that’s a plus.
On the down side, though, they have a way of sucking the energy out of us and gobbling up precious time which could be spent on more meaningful activities.
You know, like walking or other true ‘energy’ activities.
If you’re one of those people who is not intimately attached to your electronic device, I applaud your choice to resist the tide.
If, on the other hand, you’re one of those people who checks their device every 15 minutes (the average for Americans), and would like to feel more in control of your habits, take heart.
It is possible to become less robotically reliant on your device and become more fully awake and human again.
Instead of your device controlling you, you can take back the reigns of this arrangement between man (woman) and machine. And you can start right now by doing the following:
- Shut off your email and social media notifications. The ding you hear every time you receive one of those notifications is too tempting for most mortals to resist. You’ll be doing yourself a favor by switching them off.
- Limit the number of times you check your device each day. Unless your work requires it, consider a schedule in which you’re checking/posting no more than two or three times a day.
- Give yourself a time limit for being on your device and set a timer (old style or app) to let you know when your time is up.
- Tell your friends about your new policy of going off-line for several hours (or more) each day, so they’ll understand why they’re not hearing from you as often. You may actually inspire them to emulate you so they too can get more out of life.
Like any addicting behavior, cutting back can be hard at first, but before long you realize what you’re gaining.
The possibilities for deeper conversations, more creative pursuits, stronger relationships, moving your body, and greater productivity – to name just a few – begin to expand in your favor.
Let’s remember who’s in charge here. You are. Not your device.
Take back your life today!
Barry
Head Coach