Mindfulness Mondays: Tech Free Time

h/t Pinterest

My morning ritual has been hijacked.  Coffee chats with sweetness have been derailed by the "weather report" from our phones, which detours to football scores and Facebook updates.


Cyber Monday is over.  Let's put technology back in its place this week.










This week I will create technology-free time.

Seasonal Stress Busting: Visioning a meaningful Christmas

Walk down any street here in Oklahoma and you will notice that many trees still have their leaves, lawns are green, and some days it’s even warm enough to leave your jacket at home.  But walk into any local retail store, and Shazaam- its Christmas! 

If the countdown makes you sweat you might need to readjust your approach to the Holiday.

First take a moment to visualize your ideal Christmas. 

• Where are you? 
• What are you doing?
• Who are you with? 
• What is your overall mood?

If you are like most people your fantasy Christmas involves a clean house with a fire burning, the special people in your life gathered laughing with a joyful heart, and you are the picture of contented calm.  At a recent seminar for the Edmond Chamber of Commerce a participant shared that in her fantasy she was in Hawaii with her immediate family and someone was cooking for them.  She won’t really be in Hawaii this Christmas.  In a past workshop a woman laughingly shared that every year she pictured her family singing Christmas Carols around the piano.  She realized that might be a problem since she doesn't own a piano and no one in her family knows how to play (or sing for that matter).

So what fuels these fantasy holidays?  Messages are delivered directly to your mailbox, inbox, and living room every day in the form of advertising.  We are shown image after image of stylish homes with a roaring fireplace and happy families.  We are sold on perfection, and for most people the reality is far from the fantasy.  Let’s stop the subliminal competition to make this year the BEST for our family (including mom) and reset our intentions to make it meaningful. 

Now pause for a moment and consider past Christmases. 
What made your heart sing? What was a special memory? 

• Time with family and friends?  
• The meal or the gift exchange?
• Volunteering? 
• Increased spirituality or religious participation?

THAT is your new focus.

In the upcoming weeks we will develop your realistic holiday vision into an action plan that less about the stress, and more about what you REALLY want for Christmas.

Plugging back in after Screen Free Week

Marotta is "on the grid"

I am not Amish.  I fully admit to loving technology and all of the conveniences that come with being "plugged in." Despite my affinity for all things plugged I took the challenge and went off screens for one full week. It was like a trip back in time, except I did have a "mobile" so I could make and receive calls. No texts. No camera. No FaceBook. No email. No exceptions.

It was . . . different.

Driving was super quiet.  I would like to tell you I was a less distracted driver but I rediscovered old  past times for my commute.  Looking out of the windows.Watching other drivers.  Listening to the radio.  Did you hear that NPR aired a special on the Screen Free Week with the author of Doug Unplugged? It was awesome. 

Home was equally quiet.  I found myself particularly productive.  I cleaned, weeded, exercised, read (a book with pages!), and stayed up late.  When the "land line" phone rang I didn't recognize the sound. I was thrilled to hear my college kiddo's voice! She called the home number after trying my cell, and waiting for the text back that never came.  

"Who wrote the Max and Ruby series?"
 "Where is the restaurant?"
 "How many WW points is . . . ?"
"Would you order me tickets for the Listen to Your Mother show?

Family members and  friends were stressed by my seven day experiment.  I was like a three year old with all of my questions. They even nicknamed me "bossy pants" for delegating all google searches their way. Hey--I said thank you!

I stocked the waiting room with games, new toys, and information about SFW.  Many clients participated willingly, some not so much. I saw families playing cards, reading, and talking more.  It was like time travel.

Here are my personal conclusions from my venture out of the informational age:

• Talking was more meaningful and memorable than texting.
• Boredom didn't kill me.
• Boundaries for screens made me more focused.
• Time out from technology meant more movement (one day I logged 16,000 steps!)

I'm officially back on the grid, but making some changes. 

What did you learn from SFW 2013?

Wating Room Wi-Fi



google images

Waiting rooms are an interesting microcosm of the world.  Last week when I was checking for my next appointment I noticed that everyone was using technology. Everyone.  There are 10 counselors in our office and every single person in the waiting room was “plugged in” to a hand held screen.  Since studying behavior is kind of my thing, I started tracking.  My week long research startled me.  The readers of magazines/books, and the players of blocks/puzzles are now in the minority.  The shift in technology has officially hit our office in a BIG way. 

 

I like technology, obviously.  Our office has a website.  I call, text, email, blog, research, Facebook, and have Pinterest boards for inspirational quotes and (mostly) healthy recipes.  Our office has a website.  But I am wondering about the cost of screen time to each of us, and to our families.  So I did some more research. Yes, it was online. 

The American Psychology Association website search indicates that when the amount of screen time goes up: attention, sleep, physical activity, social interaction, and grades go down.  Although video games have been linked to improved reaction time in children, and improved surgical skills in surgeons, there is compelling evidence that increased aggression and obesity are also associated with increased video and television usage. 

Adult cell phone use is steadily increasing.  Most of us grownups (72%) use our cell phones for texting, but we tend to use our phones for voice conversations more than texting.  Teens exceed our texting on a 5:1 ratio according to the Pew Internet Research Center.  Younger cell phone users are averaging one and a half hours of texting per day, and one half hour using their cell phones to make voice calls.  This data does not include the use of cell phones for Internet surfing or account for the multi-tasking media use which is commonplace among teens.  It is not unusual, for example, to see teens huddled on the couch watching a movie, playing a game on their individual cell phones, and texting other people.

The last week of April (April 28-May 4) has been designated Screen Free Week by the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood.  It may be radical, but I am going to introduce the idea to my family, my clients, and the office waiting room.  Technology may have its place, but it is not meant to replace peaceful silence, reflection, talking, listening . . .

Will you take the challenge? 

I promise to post ideas and inspiration to lighten up your screen use!