Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how easy it can be to let technology take over your life if you’re not careful. In this day and age, it seems like you actually have to make a decision to not let that happen and have a plan to avoid it.
My full time job is in medical records which, as an industry, has been moving toward the goal of a complete electronic health record. This means that I spend more and more time on the computer at work. Then, we started this blog which also requires quite a bit of time on the computer.
This concerns me greatly and is the reason it’s been on my mind recently. I wanted to nip it in the bud early and come up with a plan to make sure that I’m not spending all my time in front of a computer. I’m sure there are other people out there faced with similar issues.
It’s a work in progress but here are some of the things I’ve implemented in my daily routine to help find balance with technology.
• Set specific times. It is important to have a firm end time. I know there will be days when this is difficult and of course there will be occasions when it’s not possible. However, if you manage your time well, it should be a reasonable expectation on most days.
• Don’t use technology for things that don’t really need it. For instance, I write my blog articles with paper and pencil. I don’t type them on the computer until they are edited and ready to go.
• Stop at least once an hour and get up. Walk around for a few minutes, prep food for dinner, play with the dog, switch the laundry or whatever you want. Technology keeps us immobile. This is obviously a little more restrictive at work but you can still get up and walk around or stand up and stretch at your desk. I’m fortunate that I still have many daily tasks that don’t require being chained to my desk.
• Shut everything off at least an hour before bed. It’s important to disconnect before bed and turn your thoughts to other things. Listen to music, read a book, meditate or whatever you like to do.
• Maintain a routine/schedule. It’s much easier to stick to a schedule if you establish a daily routine.
• One day a week belongs to you. I would rather work on blog stuff for an hour or two in the evenings after work during the week and have a full day to myself on the weekend.
These are things that I have successfully incorporated into my daily schedule. Obviously, everyone’s life and responsibilities are completely different but maybe there is something that strikes you as worth trying.
What do you do to find balance with technology?
Jen