This quote snapped me out of my glazed over stare. I blinked a few times and reread it. Here I was, sitting at my desk, multi-tasking between three devices: my desktop, iPad and iPhone, feeling the weight of documents, deadlines and the "ding" of an incoming text message.
I shut everything down. I had to unplug. Even for a few minutes. I knew this quote spoke truth. I knew I would "work" so much better if I set some new guidelines for "unplugging."
Here are a few ideas to help you hit your own personal "reset" button.
1. Embrace silence. Turn off the TV, music...the background noise of life and let silence rule. I love to listen to music or podcasts when I workout or do busy work around the house, but occasionally I will even "cut the plug" during those times and find my mind is finally clear to think.
2. Don't take devices to bed. Let's face it, we've all fallen into bed out of exhaustion, only to scroll through our phones for an hour. Leave it somewhere else in your house. This way you won't be tempted to have it be the last thing you stare at before you fall asleep and the first thing you wake up to see.
3. Have a conversation. While texting and e-mails are convenient, make it a priority to have at least a few real conversations, face to face, with someone every single day.
4. Plan a gadget free night. It is what it says it is. Your gadget isn't invited to dinner, the get-together or even the relaxing evening at home on these occasions.
5. Change your morning routine. Rather than jumping on your phone as soon as the sun comes up to check your e-mail, scroll through your favorite Instagram accounts or catch up on the latest Facebook news, give yourself a set amount of time before engaging with your device to drink a cup of tea, write down 3 things you're grateful for, make a list of things that need to be done that day or read something inspirational.
6. Set times for checking social media. Limit the amount of times you check your social media accounts through the day. You could stick to scheduled times throughout the day or if you really want to "unplug," completely delete the apps off of your phone. The device in our hand is typically the culprit to frequent perusing and wasting time.
