Dieting is mostly spoken of in the context of food. To stay healthy and well, I think it’s also important what information we feed ourselves. Actually, the journey starts not only with what, but how much.
Since we’ve had the government crisis in Austria, I’ve noticed that I’m checking news in different forms (online newspapers, Twitter) much more than at the beginning of the year.
It’s no wonder that I’m tired when it’s time to sit down and be productive and creative. My body is still busy with absorbing and digesting all the information that has come in. And beyond information, your bodies are picking up all kinds of other signals all the time. Our nervous systems are constantly communicating with our environment.
So, I’m starting an experiment today: I’m trying to make my smartphone as distraction-less as possible and I won’t use Facebook. At least that’s the my plan for August.
I’ll see how long my will power will last. I have removed many information related apps. Unfortunatley, not all of them can be deleted or deactivated. I don’t think I need to google every thing that I can’t figure out myself in the moment. Some things can wait.
It won’t be a total digital detox. I still plan to use my computer, check my emails and be in touch with people. It’s less of a vacation from technology and more of an attempt to see what works in everyday life.
I remember that a decade ago it was perfectly OK to check my emails 2-3 times per day and not a hundred times as might happen now.
The idea behind it is to have more time to let my mind wander so I can figure out some things that are never a top priority but are constantly ‘on’ like a computer program running in the background.
How do you feel about distractions and information overload? Do you also wish for more free time for your mind and body?
PS: I often look at the mental, emotional and physical levels to detect imbalances in the body system. Applying this to information intake, it would mean an over-use of the mental level at the expense of the emotional and physical. Maybe that’s why sometimes my head feels to big and heavy.
We’re beleaguered by tech inputs all day long, too. I’m going to go on an info diet with you. I’ll get rid of cluttered apps and only peek at email at specific times. More proactive than reactive.
Big virtual hugs to you across the pond!
Big hugs back! How did the information diet go?
Hi Dani,
since I’ve stopped using Facebook (and I was quite addicted to it, checking it a lot of times per days and scrolling for hours through the timelines) I have so much more time! I feel so much less stressed! In the beginning it was hard – but I’m doing it since about a year I guess and I never regretted it.
Hi Sonja, wow! That’s wonderful! I’ve really enjoyed my time off social media. And I want to do it again. It’s really a healthy habit to stop ingesting so much information all the time. And probably something to practice for the future. I’m using it less and less and I can’t say I’m missing it. 😉
I wonder how much space it would take up if all the inputs we’re receiving on various devices were printed and spread on scaffolds or walls. Probably too much to grasp.