Technology Overload

When I get into bed at night, I attempt to review my day. Did I have a good day? Have I been productive? Are there any positive changes that I need to make? This past Monday, I took a good honest look at my last 24 hours. The truth was that it was a day full of distractions. I struggled to focus and I accomplished very little. As I searched for the reason, I pushed myself to be honest with my behavior. The answer came to me…

 

I was addicted to my smartphone and it was getting in the way of my success.

 

I decided at that moment that I was going to make some changes. I suppose being licensed as a Mental Health Therapist has its advantages. I outlined a plan for the next day. I would check my email and all Social Media ONLY four times during the day. I would count each time that I had the mental urge to look on my phone or search on my computer. Each time that I would have this urge, I would tell myself to “let it go” and focus on my current activity.

 

I really didn’t expect this goal to be so difficult for me. I’m shocked to tell you that the first day was much harder than I ever imagined— I counted 46 times. Just think about that. 46 times, my brain signaled me to connect on Social Media. 46 times, my brain ran this loop and instructed me to pick up the phone.

 

No wonder I was having so much trouble focusing and accomplishing my goals! My brain had learned to be rewarded with the “ding” of an email and the excitement of a like or response from social media. My brain wanted more and more of that same reward.

 

In a study by the Associated Press, the average attention span in 2013 was 8 seconds. When you spend enough time on the Internet, the neural pathways in your brain change. You can become rewarded, not for staying on your task, but instead jumping to a more exciting thing. In other words, you can quickly rewire your brain.

 

It has been demonstrated over and over that your brain cannot effectively or efficiently switch between tasks. In the long run, multi-tasking causes you to accomplish less and run the risk of making multiple mistakes. On top of that, you have a much lower rate of retention.

 

If you’re looking at your phone 46 times in one day, it’s safe to say that you have formed a habit. Everyone knows that habits are hard to break since there is a payoff for continuing the behavior. In the short term, my behavior made me feel good. However, I knew that this unhealthy habit had to go.

 

Having awareness and recognizing that you have an issue is the first step to solving a problem. The interesting thing is that the first day I monitored my use and attempted to stop my behavior, I felt so much calmer, was able to focus and was definitely more productive.

 

I would be lost without my technology so I’m certainly not an advocate to disconnect. However, as with all things in life, moderation is key.

 

So I have a challenge for you. Take one day and limit your phone and social media use. Write down how many times that you get the urge to connect, and monitor how your overall productivity and how you’re feeling. Let me know how you do.

Take Action

On 4th of July weekend, my husband and I drove up to Chicago to spend a few days away.  We felt pretty lucky that we planned the trip that specific weekend since it ended up raining almost every day at home.  With the weather beautiful, we spent time shopping, eating and just relaxing. We rented bikes and rode 42 miles along the lake.  Needless to say, the trip allowed us to relax and let go of the stressors of everyday life.

 

When we got back Sunday evening, I had a list of tasks to accomplish; I woke up especially early to start tackling my list.  I calculated how much time I needed to workout, get dressed, do some paperwork and then leave for my jam-packed day. I had everything scheduled down to the minute, which, as you know, is always when your life deviates from your plan.

 

I ate breakfast and got in my car to go to the gym.  I backed out of the drive and pulled into the street. My stereo was blasting from the last time I had been in the car. When I hit the street, something made me turn down the stereo, and listen more carefully. I could swear that I had heard a strange sound emanating from my car. Since my car was still in reverse, I rolled a little further back while listening.  Something just didn’t sound right. That’s when I caught a glimpse of the driveway.  There were dark tire marks covering the entire driveway. Confused, I pulled forward into the driveway and got out of my car.

 

I walked around the car and looked at my tires. My front passenger tire confirmed my suspicions.  The tire wasn’t just a little flat; it had absolutely no air in the tire! My first thought was how did this happen? My tires had been fine last night when I went to the store. My second thought was how this was going to impact my whole day. I mentally went through the list of responsibilities that I had that day.  The feelings of stress and anxiety quickly took over my body. I was definitely pushed against the wall and I felt my blood pressure begin to rise. How quickly my feelings of calm and relaxation from my recent getaway had turned into stress again!

 

That’s when I decided to take control of the situation.  I thought about how I wasn’t going to focus on this negative turn of events but I WAS going to be solution oriented.  I went into action and asked my husband to help me change the tire.  I planned out how I would handle the rest of the day’s responsibilities and went in the house to make calls.  I reorganized my schedule and just kept moving forward. I spent time at the tire store only to find out they couldn’t do it until the next day.  I muttered the mantra “It is what is” probably a thousand times within 48 hours.  Saying these words enabled me to move forward and not focus on how today was supposed to be so different than the way it was turning out.

 

It’s hard to get through life without eventually having these types of mishaps. Bad things happen when you least expect them, especially when you can’t afford the time, energy or money for them to happen. You feel a total loss of control over the situation, which then results in stress and anxiety. The bottom line is that you need to take control of the situation to feel better. Focus on taking action to solve your immediate problem, instead of wasting time and energy thinking about what should or could have been.  It is what it is. Trust me, it’s a much smarter, happier, and more effective way to live your life.

A Break in the Routine

My head was spinning with all the “stuff” I needed to get accomplished today. My “to do” list was unusually long and I was trying to not feel overwhelmed. It was one of those days where you have trouble deciding just where to begin.

 

I’m sure you’ve been in my shoes before.  There’s a good chance that you have a million things to get done as well.  In spite of this situation I found myself in, I wanted to share with you how I ended up spending my morning.

 

When I woke up this morning, I realized that we had received quite a bit of snow. The driveway needed to be shoveled and I was the only one in the house that could do it (Miles the Pug wasn’t volunteering). So, after having my coffee and breakfast, I bundled up with all my layers and ventured outside with Miles to do some shoveling.  I hadn’t worked more than 10 minutes before my next-door neighbor and his three kids insisted on coming over and helping me.  He had a snow blower, which made the job much, much easier.

 

Miles was more than happy to see the kids. The whole family got busy working hard on my driveway.  During the process, 5-year-old Logan’s ears got cold, so I helped him put on his hood.  The girls chattered away about snow days and life.  I burst their bubble by reminding them that they weren’t going to get another snow day and how they better do their homework.

 

When they moved on to shovel another driveway, I called my friend and asked her if she wanted to go for a walk in the snow.  We walked for 90 minutes, trudging through the deep snowdrifts. We marveled at the way everything looked so beautiful.

 

I had many, many things to do.  It was pretty indulgent of me to go for that walk and just enjoy myself.  I really should have been sitting in front of my computer, getting more of my paperwork done. However, something about listening to the kids conversations and being with them made me realize that I needed to enjoy myself in the winter wonderland.  The pure pleasure they had, the excitement that it was a snow day, and the huge smiles on their faces took me back to when I was young. I wanted to enjoy the snow and have as much fun as them!

 

Now the story could have ended with me going back to work, feeling guilty for taking the time to play when I should have been responsible and working. I could have spent the whole day in a funk, thinking about how I let myself down.  But I didn’t. I came back from my walk feeling alive and energetic. The irony is that when I got back to my desk, I was very productive, creative and focused.  And that’s exactly why I’m sharing this story.

 

If you don’t watch it, you can get stuck in the rut of work, routine and responsibility.  You can stay there so long that you forget how to have fun. You have to realize that there are times where you just need to appreciate the moment. The work will always be waiting for you when you get back.  And it just might change your whole perspective.