Image Source: Pixabay.com Every time I go to the gym, I leave my phone at home. It’s a practice that I have been following for years. I believe the one hour I dedicate to my body and fitness comes above everything else. But on my left and right, I see several people on the treadmill talking away on their phones, giving instructions to their house help, or talking about business… I’m sure they are well-meaning and simply trying to optimize their time…but how does one achieve focus if the mind is constantly elsewhere? Tech is invading every aspect of our lives, and we need to create some boundaries before it completely overtakes our minds and bodies. Thus I began this publication on Medium called Tech Detox, so that together we can become more aware of the importance of disconnecting from the digital world. I’m a writer-editor-blogger and needless to say the internet has already consumed my life… Hence it’s become a mission for me to find avenues to disconnect from it. My daily exercise — yoga, walks, or the gym — see me consciously turn off my phone and put it away. I also keep my phone on silent when I read as I don’t like interruptions then. Another way I stay away from the phone is by charging it in a different room… For a while that makes me forget about it, and I focus on other tasks more efficiently. I also believe that most of our activities, be it driving, walking, or even cooking need our complete attention… At such times too, it’s best to put away the phone, or keep it on silent, and concentrate on the task at hand. I see several people stop and text away on the phone, blocking other walkers when they do so… I must confess I’ve done it a few times too. That’s when I realise how asocial we are becoming as people, looking at our phones instead of people on the street, or the nice skyline, or the birds and flowers. Nowadays, I look down and pick up fallen flowers instead…each day discovering a new pattern and geometry , a new colour scheme. All of us need to find ways to divert our minds from the omnipresent smartphone — a gadget that is beginning to assume more importance than life itself. I would love for each of you to write a solution below on how not to look at the phone, and share with readers how you have successfully, or unsuccessfully, not succumbed to the phone. If you like the blog, applaud it, share it with your network, and follow me for more.
