Do you need a Digital Detox?
This is a real sensitive issue. A lot of people are checking their email, messenger and social media numerous of times during the day! I myself is one of those people. If you work in an environment where you constantly are hooked up to the web you are in much “danger” of becoming addicted to it. You probably need a Digital Detox Day once a week.
It made me think when I saw that my manager had put up signs around his office that told him between what times he should check his email, not even having the email program open on other times to distract his attention. At first, I really thought this was funny, no really, I did. But it made me think! Why did he do that? And the more I was thinking about it, the more I thought that this was a great idea. A digital detox, a part of the day?!
Imagine that you are focused on a task, and you are working very efficiently and getting things done, all of a sudden a “ping” (notification) pops up and instantly get your attention away from your current task. If you are anything like me, you just have to look at it and read what it says and from whom it was sent! BAD IDEA! Yepp! Really bad idea. What happened to your focus? Yepp… gone as well. According to the NY Times, every distraction takes away approx. 25 minutes efficient time from you, as it takes that time to return to the original task. So, back to my manager, he did a pretty clever thing, don’t you think?
A digital detox can help you to work more Efficiently
Here are some tips that you might want to do if you want to eliminate that interruption:
- Set times twice a day or maybe three to check your email
- Have those apps at the smart phone on silence for pop up messages and put it away
- When you do not want to get disturbed, put your phone on meeting status (if you can)
- Check your social media status on set time and give it your full attention when you do
- Try the Digital Detox
Think back on the old days when we didn’t have a smartphone and weren’t accessible around the clock, wasn’t that just nice? We were not expected to answer right away, we were considered busy or out. What would happen, if you for example, left the phone at home one day and wasn’t reachable until you got home? Would you find it hard? I can only recommend that if you do, plan it! One day, do something else than checking your phone, social media status, tweets and email, it will do you good!
By practicing a digital detox day and not being reached at all hours could actually give you more energy, and allow you time to focus on something else, maybe even you will even get more relaxed? What would you do with your time?
Here is a challenge – Try a digital detox for a day!
Keep focus on what you do, enjoy it and set time for it!
You will definitely get more done and be more efficient. Avoid and eliminate the black holes that will suck your energy and time (25 minutes) from you! Reboot and get creative!
Listen to what Caroline Giegerich at TEDxAustinWomen have to say about this:
All the best,
Carina Asp
Marketing Coach