How would you define your relationship with technology? I have to admit, I had to redefine mine. What I’ve learned is when we feel overwhelmed, we feel stressed, our productivity decreases and multitasking increases, and yet we don’t get anything done. And I realized that technology can be used for great things, but it can also be a massive distraction. We spend so much time on email and checking and every time someone asks something, we look it up on Google to find the answer for them.
Social media is for socializing. It’s not for surviving and I committed to making some changes to my digital habits to make sure I was paying attention to what really mattered. But I wonder if you need to make some changes to your digital habits, as well. So I thought I’d share with you a few things that worked for me and maybe a couple of them might work for you, as well.
Turn off notifications.
Notifications are a distraction and can steal away our attention from just about any moment. Mute notifications in your settings or merely turn the volume down on your phone. Change the apps on your home screen so you don’t see the number next to the icon tempting you to stop and read it.
Limit your devices.
Only use specific devices for certain tasks. For instance, use only your home computer to check social media. Make your work computer and smartphone off limits. If checking your profiles proves to be too tempting, install the Freedom app or some other website-blocking software. You can program your devices to block you from going to designated sites specific times of day.
Facebook feed eradicator.
If you find yourself wasting countless hours surfing facebook for news, posts and updates, get the Facebook feed eradicator. It’ll hide your homepage feed, and spare you the noise and clutter throughout your day.
Get smart apps.
Apps that help you focus and remain productive are a wise way to use technology. Meditation apps, napping apps and relaxation apps can streamline your thoughts and give you abundant energy. on my cell phone.
Install Slack.
Work on reducing the noise in your email inbox by getting a team instant messenger tool like Slack. These types of tools allow you to communicate directly with whom you need and get the answer quickly without waiting for the back and forth email requires.
Get Google.
Google products and apps are designed to work effectively and efficiently with each other. I use it for Gmail, Alexa, for messaging, the calendar and maps. Like many of you, the whole team is using the one system, which makes my life so much easier. I use something called Boomerang for Gmail, which is great because they can ping a message back to me or send a reminder and it helps me to keep my inbox really, really small.
Use technology to get healthy.
Technology can help you focus on what needs your attention, like your health and well-being. I bought a Peloton and while that may not seem significant, Peloton is a great technology company with an in-home spin bike and treadmill. They feature live classes or prerecorded classes you take from the comfort of your home. This saves you commuting time and helps you use technology to improve your health.
What some digital habits that you may want to change? This year, look at your digital habits. Decide just one thing that you could change just today that would make a difference this week, which would have an impact on your month.
I’m still a work in progress and would love to hear your tips for managing technology. How are you redefining your relationship this year? It’s my goal to have people join an Attention Revolution where we truly pay attention to who matters, what matters, and how we pay attention in the world. I would love you to join me in the Attention Revolution. You see, I believe that distraction decays, but attention pays.
Share this video with your team members and help them redefine their relationship with technology.
If we haven’t connected on social media, let’s do it. You can find me on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. I also love you to comment below and tell me how are you going to redefine your relationship with technology this year? Remember, attention pays.
