Step Away From The Computer: Why Unplugging Will Keep You Sane

Coaching is jobs are a bit ridiculous when you really sit down and think about it. So we’ve got to be intentional about creating time for ourselves and for our family and friends. I read this great article over at called, “How to Have a Healthy Digital Diet”, and I thought you guys would enjoy hearing some of the high points. I think that as crazy as our jobs are, we’re adding more stress onto ourselves by our addiction to technology. Let’s look at some ways we can decrease our stress and create some great relationships as a result!

6 ways to cut down on the feeling of stress in your life

Don’t send emails to the guy in the next office. We all know that context can’t be received via email, just like we all know that we’re super busy. But are we really so busy that we can’t take time to walk down the hall and chat with a coworker? Even if it’s just a follow up to an email that you sent. Making a real connection could turn him from just a coworker into an ally.

Monitor your website distractions. Luckily I haven’t been bitten by the YouTube bug…I check it out and leave right away. Same with Facebook and Twitter. It’s too easy to get sucked in to seeing what folks have tweeted or updated. Because of that, I have a strict no Facebook policy while I’m at work. If I notice that someone has asked me something directly, I let them know that I’ll get back to them after work.

Use time management programs. Eek, these are scary! There are apparently programs that will track how much time you spend on various websites and give you a report at the end of the day. I don’t need written proof that I’m bopping around on J. Crew while I’m making recruiting calls!

Don’t leave “tech turds” on the table. I love that phrase! You know those folks that sit down at the dinner table and promptly plop down their cell phone, face up, so that everyone knows just how important they are. All it does is keep everyone from really connecting because our faces our on our phones rather than our dinner companions.

Spend more time in real relationships. How many couples come home and hop on the computer, giving their partner a cursory glance when they walk in the door? Too many I fear. How about we agree to take thirty minutes when we get home and actually talk to one another? Crazy talk, right?

Set limits on cell phones and emailing. Most calls and emails aren’t urgent. Now I do keep my phone on just in case someone from my team or from work calls late at night. I figure it’s truly an emergency if I’m getting a late night worth me picking up. I’m not telling you not to call your mom back because you’re trying to wean yourself off of the phone. I’m just saying that work is work, home is maybe we could do a better job of keeping the two separated.

How hard to you think it’d be to go without Facebook, or Twitter, or your cell phone? What if you didn’t use any of that stuff after 8 pm…could you do it?

Step Away From The Computer: Why Unplugging Will Keep You Sane

Coaching is jobs are a bit ridiculous when you really sit down and think about it. So we’ve got to be intentional about creating time for ourselves and for our family and friends. I read this great article over at called, “How to Have a Healthy Digital Diet”, and I thought you guys would enjoy hearing some of the high points. I think that as crazy as our jobs are, we’re adding more stress onto ourselves by our addiction to technology. Let’s look at some ways we can decrease our stress and create some great relationships as a result!

6 ways to cut down on the feeling of stress in your life

Don’t send emails to the guy in the next office. We all know that context can’t be received via email, just like we all know that we’re super busy. But are we really so busy that we can’t take time to walk down the hall and chat with a coworker? Even if it’s just a follow up to an email that you sent. Making a real connection could turn him from just a coworker into an ally.

Monitor your website distractions. Luckily I haven’t been bitten by the YouTube bug…I check it out and leave right away. Same with Facebook and Twitter. It’s too easy to get sucked in to seeing what folks have tweeted or updated. Because of that, I have a strict no Facebook policy while I’m at work. If I notice that someone has asked me something directly, I let them know that I’ll get back to them after work.

Use time management programs. Eek, these are scary! There are apparently programs that will track how much time you spend on various websites and give you a report at the end of the day. I don’t need written proof that I’m bopping around on J. Crew while I’m making recruiting calls!

Don’t leave “tech turds” on the table. I love that phrase! You know those folks that sit down at the dinner table and promptly plop down their cell phone, face up, so that everyone knows just how important they are. All it does is keep everyone from really connecting because our faces our on our phones rather than our dinner companions.

Spend more time in real relationships. How many couples come home and hop on the computer, giving their partner a cursory glance when they walk in the door? Too many I fear. How about we agree to take thirty minutes when we get home and actually talk to one another? Crazy talk, right?

Set limits on cell phones and emailing. Most calls and emails aren’t urgent. Now I do keep my phone on just in case someone from my team or from work calls late at night. I figure it’s truly an emergency if I’m getting a late night worth me picking up. I’m not telling you not to call your mom back because you’re trying to wean yourself off of the phone. I’m just saying that work is work, home is maybe we could do a better job of keeping the two separated.

How hard to you think it’d be to go without Facebook, or Twitter, or your cell phone? What if you didn’t use any of that stuff after 8 pm…could you do it?