February 5th, 2010
try something new: computer break
I’m pretty fascinated by the slow movement and all that is coming out of it–slow cookers, slow travel, etc. The idea is that in our increasingly fast-paced world, something is lost when we are always in a state of GO GO GO.
Something I’ve started recently, and something I’ve noticed a number of other people doing as well, is taking a computer break. My break starts when I end work on Friday and ends when I fire up the computer Monday morning. During that time, I don’t turn the computer on.
What this has given me has been a sense of true, deep, real refreshment that I did not otherwise have when my days were knitting themselves together with email checks and twitter updates and website updates. Working from home now, it is paramount that I am taking computer breaks of more than 24 hours, because otherwise the Workaholic in me comes in and is perpetually invested in something more that I “could get done in 20 minutes.”
The interesting thing is that during my second weekend of doing this, because I was not yet fully adjusted to this transition, I completely missed a date with a friend–just totally outright forgot about it–because I am so used to relying on my computer’s calendar system to ding at me and tell me that I have an appointment. While I appreciate technology’s help in keeping me together, I see it as not so good that I would completely miss a date with a friend because unless my computer dings at me, I’ve forgotten it completely.
So the computer break could be amended with: Check out your to-do list and appointments before you turn things off on Friday.
Something like that. 
So try something new: take a complete and total break from the computer this weekend. Don’t get on, no matter how many times you might be tempted. Write down the phone numbers of people you might need to get ahold of so that you don’t have to look them up in your contacts system. Leave the emails unanswered. Just let go, and take an actual break away from computers and the internet. Take a walk, go to the library, play with play-doh, pull out the paintbrushes, take the camera for a spin, call an old friend, write hand-written letters. Unplug so that you can recharge.
February 5th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Definitely agree with this–I had a (mostly) unplugged day today, and it really does just reset (for lack of a better, non-plugged in sort of term) you. Maybe tomorrow I will go fully unplugged. Thanks for the inspiration!
February 8th, 2010 at 4:15 am
i love this kate. i’m craving that too. i’m making more food from scratch, subconciously craving slowing down.
wish i could take the weekend off from email, but to be honest its the only time i catch up. though i could take monday through wednesday off from computer life (as i’m usually to busy/sleep deprived to get to anything productive anyways)!
you’ve got me thinking…
February 28th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
[...] inspiration. It has some good ideas, especially the library idea which I have used a lot myself. In this post, Kate wrote about trying to set a routine working in time that is banned from the computer [...]