6 Reasons to Take a Break from Your Tech Toys

Updated on: by Leisa Good

Need Easy Extra $350+/Month For Free?

  • SwagBucks: Watch videos, take surveys, shop and more to earn real money. Earn up to $35 per survey! No hidden fees and completely free. Join Swagbucks Now to Get $5 Free
  • InboxDollars: Has so far paid its members over $40 Million. Watch videos, take surveys, shop and more. Join InboxDollars Now and Get Free $5
  • SurveyJunkie: Make $5-$25 in your spare time from home to take online surveys, participating in a Focus Groups and trying new products. Join SurveyJunkie Now
  • Branded Surveys: Complete online surveys. Collect points. Redeem your points for cash & gift cards. No hidden fees and completely free! Has so far paid its members over $18 Million. Join Branded Surveys Now

Ever feel like you just can’t leave home without your cell phone? Ever get up in the middle of the night to check your email?

If your like most of your fellow WAH (Work-at-Home) friends and colleagues, the answer is a resounding “yes” to both of the these questions.

While technology has allowed many of us to work at home in our bunny slippers, it has also made us feel constantly wired and 24/7 available. This can lead to both mental and physical fatigue as well as future health problems.

Then what are some of the six signs that you need a “digital detox”?

 

1) You are experiencing stiffness in your neck, back, and legs. You need to get up and move away from your PC or laptop. You need to stretch. You also need to move around more to get the circulation going. Over the years, prolonged sitting can lead to obesity, osteoarthritis, and DVT or Deep Vein Thrombosis, which is caused by blood clots forming in the deep veins of the legs.

2) You are hungry and need to eat a “real” meal. While desk snacks can be nutritious, this is not always the case. Many times food that can be eaten quickly and with the fingers can also be high in sugar, salt, and calories. How many times have you reached for a quick sugar fix like a candy bar to get through the day? So, a “real” meal should be one where a knife and fork are used.

3) You are experiencing eye strain and becoming mentally tired. Every 30 minutes, you should try and close your eyes for about 20 seconds. “Up close work” can lead to declining eye sight over the years, which leads to stronger glasses and contact lens prescriptions. Also, as you age the “eye flutters” or those little dark squiggly lines you see, will increase.

4) You are becoming impatient with those around you. While you can book a hotel room in 20 seconds on your iPhone using just the right app, you wonder why your toddler takes so long to take a nap. According to Dr. Larry Rosen, author of iDisorder, the speed of technology has made us more impatient offline.

5) You just can’t seem to focus. You have too many things going on to focus on your deadline. You are having conversations in both AIM and Skype on your laptop as well as your cell phone next to you in case your spouse calls. You need to try to focus on that one thing: the deadline. Use a kitchen timer, if you have to and work uninterrupted for at least 1 or 2 hours. Many times the conversations in both AIM and Skype will wane when they see you are not there to participate. You can always excuse yourself and get back to those when the timer dings.

6) You cannot enjoy an idle moment without your iPad, iPhone, Smartphone, Kindle or whichever tech gadget has become your “hobby”. Try to enjoy idle time with nature or connecting in person with friends or family. Also, try an old-fashioned book once in a while to get that new book smell or that musty, old library smell.

 

So, no matter what the season. Get outside and enjoy some fresh air and some idle time. Upgrade your energy and downgrade your stress levels. Your mind, eyes, and body will thank you for it.

Related Posts:

Earn Everything… nearly!

Join Ipsos iSay, one of the few Faithful and Honest survey panels and earn prizes, gift cards and donations. Stack your points and redeem them: Simple! No hidden fees and completely free!

Join Ipsos Now

Need Easy Extra Cash?

Pinecone Research, a leading name in online survey panel honesty, absolutely guarantees $3 cash for every survey you complete!
Take advantage of their time limited New Membership drive and register NOW. Join today: 100% free!

Join Pinecone Research Now

Comments

Click here to post a comment...
Post comment

Leisa Good

October 3, 2012 at 9:45 am

I hope I am not the only one who really struggles not to check my email in the middle of the night. 😉

Erica

October 3, 2012 at 12:02 pm

Lisa, I think the middle of the night may be the only time I don’t check my email – unless I’m awake and can’t get back to sleep. I do find that number 4 seems to hit home with me – heck I even get impatient with some of my tech gadgets.

Another good technique to help stay focused is the Pomodoro technique, which I wrote about in another post here on WAH Adventures.

Leisa Good

October 3, 2012 at 1:23 pm

Erica, I remember the Pomodoro technique article. Good article.

I had to laugh when I read your comment. It reminded me of a clerk that I saw last week at 7-11. She had put something in the microwave for a customer, and the whole time kept hitting the side of it yelling, “Hurry up! Hurry up!” I don’t think it was on for more than a minute or two. lol I can remember the old toaster over days! 😉

Thanks for commenting.

Miranda Grimm

October 3, 2012 at 7:16 pm

While I don’t necessarily check my email in the middle of the night, you can guarantee it is the first thing I touch after my alarm clock! I think it’s not even as much as wanting to know what new emails I have but how demanding some of my contacts are about expecting a quick response!!