3456: Distraction is a Drug by Kathy Robinson of Athena Wellness on How to Take A Digital Detox

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[00:01:08] This is Optimal Living Daily. Distraction is a Drug, by Kathy Robinson of AthenaWellness.com. And I'm Justin Malek, your very own personal narrator today and every day.

[00:01:20] Me narrating means there are no interviews, just a short podcast where we can both improve our lives one day at a time.

[00:01:26] So with that, let's get right to today's post and start optimizing your life.

[00:01:35] Distraction is a Drug, by Kathy Robinson of AthenaWellness.com.

[00:01:40] When was the last time you completely turned off the noise? No technology, no clocks, and no conversation.

[00:01:49] This past weekend, I had the opportunity to do just that for 24 hours, joining a group of folks from around the globe in an unplugged virtual retreat.

[00:01:58] The rules were simple. Attend the opening and closing meetings. Cover all clocks. Abstain from looking at screens. And abstain from speaking to other people.

[00:02:10] This obviously took a bit of planning, especially communicating and coordinating with family and friends ahead of time.

[00:02:16] Since the idea was to experience unstructured time, there was little preparation needed regarding things to do.

[00:02:24] I did stock the house with a few food favorites and thankfully had the foresight to order dinner for delivery hours ahead of time before shutting off my phone.

[00:02:33] It was a nice treat since it's something I rarely do.

[00:02:36] And I found a great new Thai restaurant to boot.

[00:02:39] I joined the opening meeting at the specified time to see who would be virtually joining me for this adventure.

[00:02:44] The facilitator expertly set the stage to enter the quiet space over the course of 90 minutes.

[00:02:51] As we concluded, we were instructed to set a timer for 15 minutes before the start of the closing meeting,

[00:02:57] and then put the phone in a place where it couldn't be seen but the alarm could be heard.

[00:03:02] With a click of the end meeting button, we all vanished in cyberspace.

[00:03:07] And there I was, no phone, computer, tablet, internet, television, podcasts, audiobooks, clocks, and no conversation.

[00:03:18] Absolute silence.

[00:03:20] We've been hearing more and more about technology addiction in the news and in the wellness space for quite a while,

[00:03:27] with reports of upticks since the start of the pandemic.

[00:03:30] Some would even say at an alarming rate.

[00:03:33] Technology can be a quick and easy way to soothe or escape uncomfortable feelings,

[00:03:39] confining circumstances, or boredom, as would a drink or a drug.

[00:03:44] Much like other addictions, it becomes a problem when it stretches beyond casual usage.

[00:03:50] Interference with daily life and well-being is an indicator,

[00:03:53] as is lying about the amount of time spent engaged with technology.

[00:03:57] Digital addiction can begin as procrastination or avoidance of school, work, or social obligations,

[00:04:05] but gets serious when the user can't moderate or abstain from the activity,

[00:04:10] resulting in a loss of interest in real-life relationships and activities.

[00:04:14] Even though the vast majority of us are not in full-blown addiction states,

[00:04:19] the boundaries we set for ourselves can easily erode over time.

[00:04:24] I'm aware that when I don't have established ground rules for myself,

[00:04:28] I can get in the habit of frequently checking email or news headlines which distract me from the task at hand.

[00:04:34] Sometimes, this can take me off track from what I'm trying to accomplish during the day,

[00:04:40] which brings me back to the decision to participate in this virtual no-tech retreat.

[00:04:45] What did I do with my time?

[00:04:47] I spent some time outdoors in unusually warm temperatures.

[00:04:51] I journaled a lot.

[00:04:53] I got out a big pad of newsprint, post-it notes, and markers,

[00:04:58] and turned my kitchen cabinets into a giant whiteboard,

[00:05:01] dropping into an impromptu life brainstorming session.

[00:05:04] I enjoyed half of the Thai food in the evening and the rest for lunch the next day.

[00:05:09] I'm guessing I slept about 10 hours, the kind of sleep that's deep and rejuvenating.

[00:05:13] On Sunday morning, I read a book that called to me from my bookshelf,

[00:05:17] sitting in a favorite chair that I'm rarely in.

[00:05:20] When the phone alarm sounded, I wasn't ready to re-engage with my devices,

[00:05:24] but did attend the closing meeting as requested.

[00:05:27] Then I closed my laptop and enjoyed a few more hours of non-tech bliss.

[00:05:32] Here's what I experienced.

[00:05:34] A sense of balanced focus, which came with ease.

[00:05:38] Unexpected productivity and increased creativity.

[00:05:41] A deep sense of presence and gratefulness.

[00:05:44] Restorative sleep.

[00:05:46] And no withdrawal symptoms.

[00:05:48] In fact, quite the opposite.

[00:05:50] All in all, this short mental break felt like a long vacation.

[00:05:55] And like most vacations, I had the desire to extend it.

[00:05:59] I was surprised that I didn't miss tech for that fairly brief period of time.

[00:06:04] And I'm already looking forward to the next time when we'll gather again in a few months.

[00:06:09] The only downside I experienced was moving back into the tech fast lane on Sunday night as I got ready for the upcoming week.

[00:06:16] The acceleration into the digital to-do list was more uncomfortable than decelerating the day before.

[00:06:23] What I've implemented as a result of this experience is twofold.

[00:06:28] No news or email before noon.

[00:06:30] And resisting the urge to multitask, usually listening to something while I'm working.

[00:06:35] Those two things will go a long way along with other parameters I've put into place that I found work well for me through some experimentation.

[00:06:44] How might you begin to explore non-tech time without retreating for 24 hours?

[00:06:49] Here's some things to consider.

[00:06:51] Establish set timeframes for tech consumption, including email, social media, gaming, and television.

[00:06:58] Schedule do not disturb hours on your devices.

[00:07:02] Turn off notifications.

[00:07:04] Keep devices in silent mode.

[00:07:06] Use an alarm clock to begin the day without reaching for your phone.

[00:07:09] Clear your screens by hiding the most addictive apps and removing unused ones.

[00:07:15] Or set a tech bedtime so screen use is minimized before sleep.

[00:07:20] Try these little micro breaks and see how these changes impact your mind, body, and spirit.

[00:07:26] Adjust accordingly to find your healthy balance.

[00:07:29] You may find that powering down can help you power up for the things that matter most.

[00:07:35] Technology is not going to go away, which makes finding a way to get a reprieve

[00:07:39] so important.

[00:07:41] Going analog periodically is a powerful wellness practice.

[00:07:45] To quote writer Anne Lamott,

[00:07:47] almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.

[00:07:58] You just listened to the post titled,

[00:07:59] Distraction is a Drug, by Kathy Robinson of AthenaWellness.com.

[00:08:04] And I'll be right back with my commentary.

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[00:09:38] Thank you to Kathy.

[00:09:40] When I've been on retreats in the past,

[00:09:42] they were without devices.

[00:09:44] And that really is refreshing.

[00:09:47] Then I typically use devices a bit less after,

[00:09:51] but they'll start building up again after time.

[00:09:53] One thing that's helped me is looking at the situations

[00:09:56] in which I tend to get sucked in the most.

[00:09:59] So for example, checking my phone first thing in the morning,

[00:10:02] when I did that before,

[00:10:04] so much time would pass without me even realizing it.

[00:10:08] Because in the morning, I'd want to clear my notifications,

[00:10:11] check texts and emails to make sure nothing was urgent.

[00:10:15] And I'd do that all before even getting out of bed.

[00:10:19] But what I've realized is that it was incredibly rare

[00:10:22] that there was some kind of emergency.

[00:10:24] And even if there was,

[00:10:25] I didn't need to see it first thing in the morning.

[00:10:28] It could wait a few minutes or even an hour or two.

[00:10:32] So I think it helps to look at where we have these moments.

[00:10:35] Maybe it's while you're eating dinner

[00:10:37] or in line at the grocery store,

[00:10:39] which is more of a twitch

[00:10:40] and a way to not feel uncomfortable.

[00:10:44] But maybe just take a look at your own life,

[00:10:46] where devices and distractions

[00:10:48] might be having a negative influence,

[00:10:50] and take one baby step

[00:10:52] in a more positive direction today.

[00:10:55] Let me know how it goes.

[00:10:56] Thank you for being here every day

[00:10:58] and taking those baby steps along with me.

[00:11:00] Have a great weekend,

[00:11:01] and I'll catch you tomorrow,

[00:11:03] where your optimal life awaits.