Unplugging for Mindfulness

There was a really good New York Times series on America's addiction to technology and how it's making us ADD and absentminded. I can totally relate now, but I think back to high school, how we all survived (nay, thrived!) without smart phones, mp3 players, GPS, etc etc. Although I think all this new technology is great, I do agree that we could all benefit from becoming more in tune with nature, the world around us, and our bodies, and less in tune with our ipods. So this month, on the topic of mindfulness, I decided to try to cut back on my technology time. I realized that I often text while talking, watch TV while eating, listen to my ipod while walking...not only are these multitasking activities distracting, but can be dangerous (and rude). 

My attempts to cut out the multitasking and focus on mindfulness were dampened a bit by my vision impairment (had to wear old glasses because of an eye infection), so it was hard to be more visually observant/aware, but I did try to focus on my other senses. When I walked, I paid more attention to the sounds and smells and my own breathing, and my morning walk to school felt more like invigorating exercise than a stressful rushed commute. During class in the computer lab, I resisted the temptation to check my email and facebook while the teacher was talking, and I definitely took better notes, and remembered what the heck they were about! During lunch, I turned off my phone and paid attention to the conversation with my dining companions, and savored my sandwich instead of wolfing it down. My stomach was a lot happier about that. And when I got home, I usually zone out and eat either in front of the computer or TV, but I made a point to wait until I finished eating to turn on the TV. I was able to enjoy my food, and enjoy my TiVoed shows much more when I separated them. 

I understand that for many people, multi-tasking and tech-attachment is a must, but once in a while, mindfully slowing down, unplugging from gadgets and separating activities can be quite an eye (and ear, mouth, etc) opening experience!