Last night was not unusual; I worked until after midnight, ruminated on some ideas until 2:00, puttered around online and still sleepless – I made mental lists until 3:00. Even counting shoes (instead of sheep) didn’t seem to do the trick.
I’m guessing I nodded off around 3:30, waking at 6:30 feeling groggy and dreadful.
But I picked right up again with the mental checklists, which I’d left off just hours earlier.
Unlike most mornings – egged on by a cell phone charger that finally bit the dust – I did not dive into my day on the Blackberry, on Facebook, on Twitter, on my computers.
I drank my coffee, put on my clothes, went out to do a variety of errands, and disappeared for three hours – in communicado.
May I say that it’s been a stressful few weeks – that Damage Control Day was only a small part of it? Oh, nothing earth shattering – but the sort of onslaught that wears you down and leaves you shaking your head, shaking your head, shaking your head and wanting to stay in bed!
I needed to say STOP to everything, even if only for a morning.
And it worked. I feel better. In fact, despite too little sleep, I feel great!
The Benefits of a Break From Technology
This is a rare occurrence for me – and an uncomfortable one at that. I am generally available 24/7 to a wide range of people, and as I’m not a brain surgeon, a rocket scientist, or any such critical resource, it seems to me that a little “unplugged” time is periodically in order. Saying it – and doing it, however – are not the same thing.
Even my days in Florida last month comprised “The Workaholic’s Vacation,” as my son likes to call it. My Blackberry was in my beach bag (or my hand), three hours/day were devoted to work commitments, and while I would have loved for it to be otherwise, it just wasn’t in the cards at that time.
Still – it was delicious and relaxing to get away, to dip my toes (sans footwear) into the Atlantic, and to feel relatively disconnected – in the best possible sense of the word. I could think… at my leisure. I could dream… just a little.
Moderation in the Mobile?
As for this morning, I chatted with people on my assorted quests, felt enormous relief being “out of touch” for that short time, and on my drive home was tickled to see a white haired woman in a sporty red coupe, cruising down the road with windows down, sun roof open, and taking full advantage of a beautiful summer day.
Sometimes, we need to turn off the noise – our mobile devices, our laptops, our own voices in social media. Then, we can return responsibly – and refreshed – even if it’s just a few hours later.
- Do you know when to say enough is enough?
- Does it take a technology breakdown or some other snafu to force you off your various devices?
- When it’s time to unwind – are you actually able to do it?
- Been cruising in a hot red sports car lately? Next time, may I tag along?
Putting Disconnection Into Practice
And yet… The challenge for me – perhaps for you, too? – is to put healthy disconnection into practice on a regular basis. Before children, I used to do this through reading (as well as writing), and daily exercise that took me walking through a beautiful neighborhood.
Why has it become so much harder?
How much can we blame the accessibility of our devices, the expectations of our bosses and spouses and kids, and how much is the way we’ve altered our sense of self-worth? Do we put too much store in too many types of connection?
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Love the image of a white haired woman in a red sportscar. Love the idea of counting shoes instead of sheep. Perfect.
Yes – I AM able to step away when needed. And I can tell when I need it. I may be near that – because your blog post title alone drew me in today. I read it and thought, yes, yes and yes. Glad you were able to turn your back on it this morning.
It may be another late night, Barb… but that’s okay. It was worth it! (And oh, that woman in the white hair was inspiring!) 🙂
Last time I couldn’t sleep, I started naming the states in alphabetical order. I don’t have enough shoes to count myself into dreamland.
I do not have the same work stresses you do, so I have the ability to leave my technology turned off when I need to. Even so, it can be difficult to turn everything off.
Sorry to hear how stressful things have been recently. No one should be expected to be turned on and available 24/7. Good for you that you were able to take a break.
I wouldn’t say it’s explicitly expected, Robin. But the reality for the independents I know is constant work to prospect and manage a pipeline, while also providing services to clients that are not necessarily on a fully predictable schedule. It isn’t exactly a 40-hour week, or 50, or even 60, and when working with entrepreneurs or other creatives, it’s not unusual to work a lot of odd hours or weekends. I’m certainly not alone in this, and as I also work across time zones (and have for many years), I might add that it’s “my normal.”
That said, I need to know when to stop, and how to establish boundaries. That’s really up to me to manage, but as with many things, the bottom line is, well… the bottom line!
(You counted the states in alphabetical order? I love it!)
It’s one of the best things, perhaps, of our month in France: internet access at motorhome campsites is v. dodgy and v. expensive for what you get. So, we were just off line. I was expecting information about one of my rent houses, so Bill kept his phone (the more reliable) on for some part of the day, but there were only texts from his son when we were arranging when and where to meet up. I sometimes think about doing something self-employed, but I was on call 24/7 for much of the last 20 years of my working life and I can’t see me ever volunteering to go back to that. I know it’s the ‘cool thing’ for today’s generation, but it’s not the lifestyle I want. Good job, as I can’t imagine forking over the money for the contracts and the new gadgets every year.
You’re supposed to count the sheep backwards from 200 in French, preferably 🙂
But must I say mouton every time? 😉
I’m a big fan of the Internet Sabbath. One day a week (or even once a fortnight) no Internet. One can plan for this–schedule a post, etc. The reward, apart from sheer enjoyment and relaxation, is creative renewal.
Usually, my body and mind tells me when enough is enough! It just shuts down. No energy, no focus. If I push, it stops me by getting sick! Then I have to stop…or at least slow down. 🙂 I’m going through a bit of a funk now anyways and have lost some creative juices. I’m sure it’s because I feel very overwhelmed between work and home. That usually results in me feeling very uninspired.
I hear you, Lisa. That eternal pull between work and home. Very wearing.
Hi dear Wolfie.
We’ve just came back from 2 weeks in France and as a classic jet lag case I was trying to picture and count 2700 images I brought back but still I’m already fully awake by 3a.m. trying to catch up with my favorite blogs. I’m not sporting your over stressful 24/7 schedule but being disconnected for a while was such a relief.
I’ve seen youngsters kissing passionately and at the same time they both were checking massages ! Awful! Couples in restaurants immersed in their smart phones instead of enjoying each other’s company and food. Tourists wondering the Paris streets without even looking around but glued to their devices. Ridiculous.
The addiction is harmful.
Please don’t over stretch this connectivity occupational hazard. As long as you aren’t a surgeon on call or a fireman the cheerful auto reply will keep your clients at bay even across the time zone. You’re most certainly owing it to yourself.