The virtual world can be a pretty addictive place. We’ve gone from email confined to desktop computers to being able to send message with a few simple taps. But as the saying goes, too much of a good thing can be taxing, and our connectivity with the virtual world seems to be getting ahead of us.
We all know that taking time for leisure can be difficult, but it’s important to not only let ourselves recharge, but give your electronics a break too. Here are five suggestions on how to slowly disengage yourself from your technology.
1. Start by taming the email monster. Emails come in fast and furious, especially since they can arrive at any point in the day. The phenomenon of being reachable 24/7 that the Smartphone created has also become quite the burden for business owners. A good suggestion would be to only check your email twice a day. If you’re experiencing a high volume of inquiries, or you’re waiting for an important email, you can delegate check-ins to a different team member. If you’re looking for someone to handle this, DemGen’s virtual team can answer emails appropriately and efficiently, to keep your inbox looking tidy.
2. Not all social media is a source for news. Social media has the ability to suck people in without even realizing it. If you’re the type of person who idly clicks over to Facebook or Twitter, try to remind yourself that those sites won’t always contain the latest breaking news. If you’re checking them because of constant notifications that need to be attended to, a good idea might be to follow the email model and assign a virtual team member to monitor the activity, which they can check 2-3 times a day, and easily keep up to date.
3. You’ll get a better tan from the sun than your computer screen. Your computer screen might be able to shine pretty bright, but you’ll never get a good tan by sitting in front of it for hours on end. Once you’re done with the computer work for the day, turn your computer off. Turning your computer off (laptops unplugged as well), both saves energy and forces you to find somewhere else to hangout.
4. Network the old fashion way. Instead of sending an email or text RSVP to meet up with a client or colleague, stop by their office and invite them out personally. Head out for coffee or a bite to eat, and while you’re there, make a conscious effort to not check your phone or tablet. Remember appropriate social etiquette, and that checking-in with your phone would mean checking-out of your interaction with them. Don’t be the person with their phone glued to their hand.
5. Swap new technology for old technology. You might come up with excuses to use your mobile phone, tablet, or Pandora, like you want to take a picture, update a status or turn on some music but there’s a way to do all those things without using those devices. Instagram on your phone becomes a Kodak disposable camera, updating your status becomes physically telling your friend a story, and Pandora becomes a great mixed CD or vinyl record. It’s easy to forget that all the great apps we have on our devices are derived from previous technology, and how much fun it can be to use them again.
So, to sum it all up: don’t spend hours answering emails, only check your social media when necessary, turn your computer off, meet up with friends outside of the internet, and remember to enjoy the simpler things. That way, you can disengage yourself from technology and engage yourself in some much-needed relaxation.
© Zoe Begopoulos, DemGen Inc 2013
