human connection

For those of you who know me, you know I love social media. I’m fascinated by the fact that we have all these nifty tools right at our fingertips which allow us to communicate with anyone in the world. We are more connected to each other than we ever have been before.

At the same time, the digital devices we use to access these social networks serve as a distraction when we need to communicate offline. We struggle to engage in quality, in-person conversations because we are so worried about what is happening online.

So as much as I love being connected through social media, I want to challenge you to a Daily Digital Detox. You may have read articles where some folks do a digital detox by going off Facebook for a month or staying off of social sites while they are on vacation. When I speak of a digital detox, I want to take it one step further. Let’s turn off our digital devices and put them away.

I have thought about how WE can do this on a daily basis – and I plan on taking this challenge with you because goodness knows I am always connected to my laptop. Watch this video to hear the four ways we can meet the challenge of a Daily Digitial Detox.

Let’s re-cap those four great tips so you can meet your Daily Digital Detox challenge!

1. Get a traditional alarm clock.

If you use your cellphone for your alarm (like I do), you have a huge temptation to check your e-mail, facebook, twitter and more, as soon as you turn your alarm off (like I do). This is no way to wake up! In your state of grogginess, you do not want to reply to that e-mail from your boss. If you use an alarm clock that is not your phone or your tablet, you can get out of bed, get ready and wake up to your day before you get plugged in.

2. No digital devices at meetings or meal times.

If you have your cell phone on the table during meetings and meal times, you are not fully present in that moment. Unless you are working on website design with your team or building the next great app, do not even bring your digital devices into that next team meeting. You will be a more conscious contributor and you can enjoy more productive meetings.  When you are with your friends, your family or your client, make sure your phone is turned off and put away. Be fully present in that moment and in the conversation. You will find that you engage in higher quality conversations and enrich your relationships because your focus is on the people in front of you, not on the notification rings and dings of your phone.

3. Enjoy the experience, live in the moment.

The next time you are at a concert, enjoying a sporting event or at the park with your kids, put the phone away. Sure, take a few snapshots, record that one favorite song the band plays, but aside from that, put the phone away and soak it all in. If you record every moment of your life through the screen of your cell phone, that’s all you are experiencing. You are missing the bigger picture and the opportunity for a more memorable event. When you live in the moment, you are creating a richer memory. When you speak about the event at a later date, you will remember more of it, because you actually lived it – all of it.

4. Establish a digital curfew.

If you tend to go to bed at the same time every night, this will be a bit easier for you. What I’d like you to do is shut down your computer, your iPad and cell phone one hour before you go to bed. Give yourself some time to unwind and relax before you go to sleep so that you can feel more rested and rejuvenated in the morning. If you are on your computer two minutes before you plop your head on the pillow, you are likely one of those people who are dreaming about work and wake up completely stressed out. Give your body the opportunity to digitally detox and calm down before you drift off into dreamland. You are making for a better night’s sleep.

Now it’s time to challenge you!

While I don’t anticipate that you will incorporate all four of these tips at once, I challenge you to adopt one of them right now. Give yourself the next three days to incorporate your Daily Digital Detox and be sure to let me know how you do. I’m curious how it makes you feel and how it enhances your conversations and your life.

It is simply amazing and wonderful to be digitally connected to the world, but it is so important that we do not forget how to communicate with those who are sitting right in front of us. The human connection is far richer than a text message or a tweet. We crave interaction with people, so let’s unplug those digital devices and enjoy each other more.

Thanks for sharing this article with your friends who can take the daily digital detox challenge with you! If you want your weekly serving of positivity and purpose, as well as helpful tips for strategic communication, branding and social media, please make sure you subscribe to Beaming Bohemian news. It lands in your inbox every Friday!