Peace of Mind by Jailing Your Technology

Remember life before the internet?  What about the smartphone?  If you grew up pre 90’s you know exactly what life was like before technology forever changed the way we interact with others, work, play and pass time.  I remember the days of doing research papers in school and having to use the card catalog system in the library to search out information.  It was agonizing and tedious, but hey, it’s all we knew or had for that matter.  Technology has certainly enabled us to be much more efficient in many aspects of our lives.  As we’ve grown in our use of technology so have the side effects that come from our technology dependency in the office and at home.
The side effects I speak of, impatience and declining interpersonal skills, directly impact an incredibly important part of our being: our peace of mind.
People have become increasingly more impatient than they’ve ever been.  I know because I’m one of them.  The golden rule in business back in the day was to return a phone call within 24 hours.  Today, if we don’t get a response in 30 minutes we think the person on the other end is avoiding us or must not have received our call. We then resort to a whole list of communication shenanigans, frantically trying to get a response by texting, Facebooking, IG-ing, LinkedIn Messanger, emailing from three different addresses and blasting off SnapChats.  Sound familiar?
The result of our increased impatience is a heightened level of stress.  When we’re stressed the last thing on our minds is peacefulness which leads to bad decision making, mistakes and a decline in our health. Stress is the real McCoy - over 75% of all doctor's office visits are for stress-related ailments. 
The side effects of technology don’t just stop with our impatient behaviors, they also show up in our interpersonal skills.  More and more today people focus on the technology in front of them rather than the person they are with or are surrounded by.  Ever been to a restaurant and see a couple facing one another, not saying a word, both eating ferociously while they text and bounce from one social media app to the next.  An entire meal goes by with little more said than ‘pass the salt’.  Our conversations and relationships suffer because we are  fixated on what is happening in the world thousands of miles away rather than what’s right in front of us.
Luckily there is an easy way to combat the technology bully.  These five un-plugging techniques can help you get back to basics so you can start enjoying life in the moment:

• Give Technology a Time Out – leave it at home, in your car or buy one of those fancy little jails from Perfect Solutions to show your technology who’s boss
• Read a Paperback – I may be old school but there’s something about reading a real book that is soothing; sorry Kindle, you’re fun at times but you just don’t compare
• Experience the Great Outdoors – go for a walk, hike, bike, slip & slide what have you; being outdoors restores the soul and revitalizes the mind, a bit of sun always brightens up the day
• Casual Convo with Friends or Family – taking time to appreciate and enjoy the relationships around you isn’t just rewarding, it’s bonding at a level technology can’t compete with
• Breathe – next time you have the urge to check your Fantasy Football or Facebook app for the 19th time in the last half hour take a deep breath and just enjoy the moment; silence provides a great opportunity to reflect and enjoy the moment, you might be surprised what you’re missing out on that’s right in front of you

When we spend time on ourselves and our state of mind we’re sharper, friendlier, more productive and of course healthier.  Technology is an amazing tool but like everything in this world, its best used in moderation.