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May 10, 2009 By 2 Comments

Rediscovering Non-technology

As I get more and more attached to digital tools and communication mediums, I’ve recently begun to appreciate the non-technology elements of life more and more. Those who know me know the running joke about how much I hate paper and it’s true – I do hate the unneccesary use of paper. However, there is only so much technology that I can take before I start to yearn for something different to bring harmony to my life and so I am enjoying a re-discovery of some of the non-electronic things that bring me satisfaction. For those of you as uber-connected as I am and are looking for some ways to unplug, here are some things I recommend.

  • Read a book (on paper, not a Kindle)
  • Call an old friend just to catch up
  • Write a letter (with pen a paper using nice stationary)
  • Take a walk in the park
  • Buy a Moleskine and use it for meeting notes
  • Send handwritten thank-you notes to client and prospects
  • Go out with friends and turn your phone off during dinner
  • Attend a live classical music performance
  • Attend a meeting at work without your laptop or a mobile device
  • Play board games with friends instead of watching TV or a movie
  • Go to the zoo, art museum, or local nature spot and just observe

It’s amazing how rich some of these simple experiences can be after being so plugged-in for so long. Maybe this is obvious to everyone else but I sometimes feel so engrossed in an online world that I find myself needing balance. What do you do to keep from losing yourself in technology?

Filed Under: Lifestyle
  • Carolynn McLaughlin

    I guess I’m not that tied in to technology! I may Skype friends to keep the LD charges down, but I stay in touch. I’m also big on readng a Scrabble. That whole cell phone thing has gotten very old for me, so I like the suggestion of turning it off during time with friends. But I still compose more clearly through a keyboard than via chicken-scratch! Maybe I’m a tiny bit techie after all.

  • Santyna

    The thought behind technology years ago was to provide more free time for people, yet it seems that life is busier and passing faster each and every year. Yes technology serves a purpose and we sometimes forget that we can control technology and not the other way around where technology runs or dictates our lives. We have become so busy and have lost or forgotten much of what puts living back into our lives. Some additional ideas:

    Sitting by a bonfire and enjoying the crackling of the wood while gazing at the stars and enjoying hot cocoa and roasted marshmallows.
    Treat/ pamper yourself to something you consider a luxury – mani/ pedi, massage, weekend getaway, even sleeping in and treating yourself to breakfast in bed.
    Take an art (pottery, painting, photography) or dance class.
    Play in the rain (not a lightening storm unless you want super curly hair).
    Have a picnic on a gondola.
    Take a twilight horse-drawn carriage ride.
    Go to the park with the family.
    Make chocolates or enjoy fondue with friends (no double dipping).
    Decorate a cake.
    Meditate and breathe.
    Look up (not under a flock of birds though) and think thoughts of gratitude – how small we are in such a big world, yet have so much.
    Set a $ limit, go on a mission to find as many quality items and donate them to a local shelter.
    Do a random act of kindness.
    Give a genuine compliment and smile at everyone you pass whether in the corridors at work or in the grocery isle.
    Pat a dog (preferably one you know won’t bite you).

    There are, of course, longer memory making opportunities out there – maybe even things found on a ‘bucket list’ – take a cruise, scuba dive the coral reef, learn another language, fly a plane… – see this is where technology can help us remember the living we do.

    Yes – I know there are a lot of ‘girly’ suggestions – but the list in not comprehensive nor is it exhaustive.

    Life is short and precious and it’s up to us to make the most of every breath.