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Time for digital detox?

Balance is a good thing. So is technology. Have you ever considered the extent to which you rely on technology? And not only to get stuff done, but for survival? Yes, even a good thing can be taken too far. When something useful and helpful becomes a focal point of life it can become unhealthy.

bullet journal-time for digital detox

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It's weird, really. For some folks losing one's smart phone would be an inconvenience, sure, but for others it would make life unbearable. Seriously, lot's of people survived and accomplished significant things long before the cell phone was invented. Incontheivable, right?

I've caught myself, on more than one occasion, choosing a digital option for something when I could have experienced it in the real world instead. I've watched a fireworks celebration on screen when it was happening just a few miles away. I often read stuff on screen instead of paper for the convenience of it but sometimes a physical book is more satisfying. The downloadable books really are more convenient and I'll keep doing this, but I'll also read a physical book on occasion because reading on a screen is noticeably different from the real world experience. Likewise, I prefer going to live concerts because there is something missing in watching a performance on screen. Some of you will remember the old cassette/VHS tape commercials (those of you who know what cassette or VHS tapes are) who's catch phrase was "Is it live, or is it Memorex?". Yeah, it was Memorex.



This is one reason I use the Bullet Journal method on paper. Please forgive the shameless plug: I'm currently using the Universal Journal Log, a 500 page dotted journal I offer via Lulu.com which should give me a full year of journaling. (Check out the other journals, too.) There are other valid reasons for going old school in bullet journaling but the first reason I chose this approach was simply because I enjoy the experience of writing in a physical book. Stationery is a marvelous invention. And keeping my journal this way has a built in effect of resisting the temptation to move my entire life online. Like it or not, a lot of us feel a push to do this (myself included).

Using a paper journal is one way of counteracting the pressure to digitize. An article in Psychology Today offers a few more ideas on how to implement a digital detox. Yeah, it's a digital article and I'm sharing it with you on a blog, the irony hasn't gone unnoticed. But you're reading a blog. I'm not saying we should all forego the use of electricity. I'm merely suggesting it's wise to keep a healthy life balance in mind. For some of us, that includes being more aware of our reliance on technology. Cheers.

Got any ideas for implementing a digital detox? Comment here.

Comments

  1. Thank you for this article. It works inspiring for me to keep an close eye on my usage of technology and the reliance on it. I admit honestly that I'm heavily relying on technology now. Because a lot of things are just out of my reach to go to myself.

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