Working concept. Diary with pen, cup of coffee and muffin on a wooden board with a coffee bean ... [+]
It’s everywhere.
Digital technology has engulfed us, encroached on our lives, and turned us into doom-scrolling zombies. We flip through our social media feeds like we are looking for a light at the end of the tunnel, but the light is shining in our face. Also, there is no tunnel.
I’ve been studying what tech addiction really means during the pandemic and one of my most recent discoveries is that we’re searching for something that is elusive and hard to pin down. That’s exactly what makes it so compelling. If we even had a vague idea of the end goal, if we could somehow reach the end of the Facebook feed and mark the activity as “done” then we wouldn’t keep searching so hard and for so many hours during the day. (Props to Jaron Lanier for making that quite clear.)
As I reported recently, we now spend seven hours per day consuming media online. Seven hours! That’s up from only three hours per day before the pandemic started.
The question is, how can we cope with this constant digital deluge?
For me, I’ve found a few simple changes have made a big difference during COVID-19. I hesitate to call these tips and tricks, since that implies short term remedies. They are practical changes you can do right now and keep practicing even after the pandemic finally comes to an end.
1. Only watch television at night
Full disclosure here: This is a work in progress for me. As a journalist, I sometimes test out products like the Roku Ultra during the day. My goal, however, is to only watch TV at night after the sun goes down. Granted, in my area, that’s getting earlier and earlier. Yet, it means I avoid watching the news during the day or catching up on Disney’s The Mandalorian during work hours.
2. Use a laptop in an office exclusively
Again, a work in progress. What I’ve been trying to do more and more during the pandemic is work only in my office. That means I don’t do any work on a laptop on the sofa or in the bedroom. If I have to work, it means trudging downstairs, booting up, and doing the work. It means I’m in a setting that is designed for productivity and not leisure time.
3. Stop playing video games altogether
This is a controversial one I’m sure. I know both Microsoft and Sony would object, given they have brand new systems on the market and new video games coming out. For me, when I’m on a computer all day anyway, and still plan to watch my favorite shows at night (one recent discovery: Alex Rider), using digital technology even more often doesn’t make sense. (I do still test games for my job, just to be clear.)
4. Write in a journal multiple times per day
I’ve been writing in a journal for decades but during COVID it has become a major part of my daily routine. I now write in a journal in the morning, during the day, and then again at night. Here’s my favorite brand right now. I also recently started using a time-box planner developed by Cal Newport. Going analog has helped me set the phone down more, avoid my laptop, and skip the tablet.
5. Subscribe to more magazines
Okay, I’m trying to avoid any sort of shameless plug here, but honestly it has helped a ton to read the physical printed version of Forbes. I also love Smithsonian magazine, Car and Driver, and Popular Mechanics. I’m planning to subscribe to even more physical mags and cancel my Apple News+ account. When an analog issue arrives in the mail, I turn off my phone and just read without any distractions.
6. Expand your horizon with unusual books
One of the lessons I’ve learned during the lockdown is that it’s important to break habits. I tend to read the same types of books but recently bought a few new novels, started reading about travel expeditions again, and even found a book about Broadway. A book about chance called A Series of Fortunate Events is also at the top of my reading list right now.
7. Hit pause
One cool suggestion comes from the author John Eldredge. In his book Get Your Life Back: Everyday Practices for a World Gone Mad, he mentions the one-minute pause. It’s a way to tune out distraction for one minute, to focus on breathing, and release all of your stress. No tip or trick on this one; you simply sit and release your thoughts back into the wild where they belong.
8. Go for long drives for no reason
My last big change has to do with driving. I tend to do a reverse commute where I go for a drive after a long day with no destination in mind. It helps that, as a journalist, I still test and review cars as part of my job. (Jeep Gladiator, anyone? I’m testing one right now.) I pick any point on the map that has curvy roads and drive until I decide to turn around and come back. It actually works.
