Take a break from technology
Remember the days before cell phones, pagers, PDAs, MP3s, TV on demand, the Internet? The time when you didn’t have to program everything from your watch to your coffee maker?
Technology adds enormous convenience to our lives — and enormous amounts of stress. Interruptions, increased expectations, noise and the lack of down time can all add up to a bad case of “techno-stress.”
As an antidote, try adopting some of these strategies to unplug and de-stress:
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Grab some down time. Turn off (or at least switch to silent) your PDA, pager or cell phone at meal times, at night and during social events. Focus on the people who are present.
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Tune in to your family. Eat dinner together regularly, and designate at least one night a week that’s free of TV and computer games, when you can talk, play board games or go for a walk together.
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Take a tech-free vacation.
Do you really need to take your laptop on holiday? Whether your break is for a day, a weekend or a week, it’s healthy to enjoy unplugged intervals.
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Switch off the noise. Listen to the sounds that are around you instead of the constant blast from the TV or stereo. Read a book instead of watching a movie.
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Adopt low-tech alternatives. Looking up a store or service in a local directory is sometimes more efficient than looking on the Internet. Consulting a dictionary instead of a spell-checker keeps your mind sharp.
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Choose simplicity. When shopping for new items, resist the “fully loaded” models and opt for the model with the features you really need.
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Try single-tasking. Focus on one job at a time, and do it well.
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Use technology wisely. Find ways to improve your quality of life, such as recording TV shows for one designated viewing night, or answering emails in batches at specific times instead of continually throughout the day.