We must at least consider the possibility that our unrelenting connectedness, our habitual ‘mainlining’ of data, has led to a viral outbreak of overwhelm that has infected our minds and hearts. This isn’t the life you and I were meant to live. ~Claire Ortiz-Diaz couple of years ago, I attended the FRAMES Conference put on by Barna Group. At the time, they were introducing their latest offering, FRAMES, which they define as “short yet meaningful reads on the top issues facing us in today’s complex culture.”

One of the speakers/authors was Claire Ortiz-Diaz of Twitter fame. (You know you are big time at Twitter when your handle is simply @claire.) She spoke on the “Stewardship of Life in the Digital Age,” and the need for “digital sabbaths.” In a time where we are all hyper connected to work and to each other through our devices, her encouragement was to schedule specific times where we are not so available.

Here are just a few of the stats included in the FRAME she contributed to, Greater Expectations.

• Psychiatrists are beginning to identify Internet overuse as a psychological disorder.
• 53% of Americans feel their digital devices have become a distraction to productivity.
• 53% of respondents to a Barna survey said they felt physically or mentally overwhelmed by their digital life at least once in the previous month.
• 60% of Americans say they’ve never taken an intentional break from social media.

These were the numbers in 2014, but I have a feeling they are just as relevant today.After attending the conference and reading Claire’s book, I took some drastic measures to “digitally detox” my life. After a year of putting these into practice, I can unequivocally say that these five simple steps have helped me be less distracted and more efficient with my time.1. Turning off push notifications on my smartphone

Nothing was more distracting to me than hearing a bzzzzz or ding every time I received a new email or tag on a social media network. I immediately felt an urge to check that email or see what I was being associated with on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter. So, I turned off almost all push notifications to my phone.

I still see the email counter on my phone screen, but only if and when I “awake” my phone from standby. And, I still get email notifications whenever someone tags me on social media platforms (I think it’s wise to monitor this), but only check the time sucks…er…I mean platforms when I am free and want to do so. (Disclaimer: I still allow push notifications for Weather Alerts – it IS an El Niño year, after all – news alerts and sports updates for my favorite teams. They are infrequent, self-contained pieces of info that don’t tempt me to investigate any further.)

2. Block scheduling my day or week

I assign specific times when I will check email, browse social media platforms, return phone calls, etc. I do this for at least the first half of my day, especially when working from my home office, and then leave a little more flexibility in the afternoon. More importantly, I am (as of today) now scheduling non-device time when I won’t have immediate access to my devices. My non device time is the first 30 – 45 minutes of each day, and to enforce this, I leave my phone in my bedroom while I go through my morning, non-device-time routine.

3. Turning off all sound/vibrations at night

Nothing can ruin what you thought was going to be a productive day like a bad night of sleep. Though I have turned off nearly all push notifications, the buzzing of late-night text messages, sports alerts or next-day appointment reminders used to wake me up after having gone to bed. While I would usually ignore the communications, and go right back to sleep, I realized that the interruptions were disturbing my REM cycles. Setting my phone to “Do not disturb” before I go to bed has significantly improved my sleep. (Note: your iPhone alarm will still play your wake-up music/sound, and if someone calls twice, they will get through.)

4. Stopping the madness of multiple screens

At any given time during my work day, I used to have 5 – 10 screens open on my laptop. Multiple email windows, Google Apps, TweetDeck, Facebook, you name it. It got out of hand, and I’m pretty sure it slowed down my computer (this is all theory and based on no empirical evidence). So, now, during the times I’ve blocked for specific tasks/clients, I only have windows/applications open that are pertinent. After all, the only thing more distracting than a Facebook notification on your phone is an instant message on your laptop. I am so much more efficient and focused with my projects now! (Note: some workplaces use IM to communicate and reduce the number of emails people send/receive in a day. This can be very effective.)

5. Putting the phone away during meetings

I totally recognize the need to be “on call” for children, work or other people who we deem important, but that doesn’t mean that our phones should be given a prominent place at the table when eating a meal, meeting over coffee, or during any other intentional, personal interaction with another live human. If I am expecting a call, or want to be available for emergencies, I put my phone under my leg (where I can feel the vibration) or next to me on the seat. If I am taking the time out to meet with someone face to face, then I want to be as fully present as possible.Obviously, these steps might not be plausible for your circumstances, but hopefully will inspire you to take some course of action, no matter how small, to reduce the digital noise that crowds your life. And, if you don’t feel this “digital overwhelm” as Claire (I feel like we’re on a first name basis now) calls it, then hoorah for you, and please block some time to email or call me and tell me how you do it!

Notes:

• There is an actual group called Internet & Tech Addiction Anonymous (ITAA). You know, in case you have a “friend” who could use some help.
• In case you are wondering, yes, I wrote this post during time blocked for writing.

Photo Credit: http://www.adhdmanagement.com