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Technology Is a Terrible Master

Technology can be a powerful tool, but it can also be a drain on your mental energy, and a source of procrastination in and of itself. Don’t be chained to your smartphone! Take the time to declutter, detox, and recharge.

NOTES

1. First things first: declutter. Instead of allowing yourself to be tossed about in a torrent of email and other digital communication, take control. Just because someone sends you an email doesn’t mean that he or she owns a piece of your life. Use the checklist below to declutter.

Digital Decluttering Checklist

Unsubscribe to all unwanted newsletters and other mass emails. If you get notifications from social media outlets, go into those accounts and stop them from sending you email.

______ Date Completed

Go into your email account and put up an autoreply that says something like, “Thanks for writing. I only check email twice per day. If this is an emergency, call.”

______ Date Completed

Clean up the junk! Have a bunch of email that doesn’t relate to important goals or relationships? Delete. Delete. Delete. Resolve to delete or ignore all emails that don’t have a direct impact on you right now.

______ Date Completed

Just like that, your email volume will shrink drastically, and you’ll be far less likely to be overwhelmed by something as silly as email.

2. Build “zones of silence” into your daily routine. Instead of reaching for your phone first thing when you wake up, turn off your phone and computer for the first hour of the day. Try this again for one hour in the after noon. Resolve to turn off your phone during meals or other important times with family. Use the form below to plan and commit to your daily detox.

Daily Detox Plan

I will not use technology—smartphone, computer, or other web-connected device—during the following times:

Morning:
from ________________ until __________________

Lunch:
from ________________ until __________________

After noon:
from ________________ until __________________

Dinner:
from >________________ until __________________

No more technology after ___________ at night.

3. Unplugging for an hour here and there during the day is great. But to really recharge, you need to unplug for at least one full day each week. Give your mental batteries time to recharge. Use the weekly calendar forms to block out which day each week your own personal blockout will occur!