Cultivate Habits: Healthy Technology Use

When it comes to how to use technology in a healthy way, I have more questions than answers. This is an area that I think about quite a bit since my habits are not settled and consistent.

Since the thought of Simply Cultivate, technology has had a larger role in my life than before. In the past, I was able to leave my phone plugged in on the kitchen counter and ignore it between 8:30-noon and then again from 1:00-3:00.

Mike and I talk over Signal which has a different ping sound so I would only go pick it up if it was a message from him during the day. I made sure other people knew when I was available and able to talk or text. This all cut down on distractions during the day and still does.

The problem isn’t incoming calls or texts, it is me having an idea or needing to just quick do something on my phone that becomes a distraction. So what habits do I want to have around my use of technology so that I am present with the people around me?

Morning habits

Starting my day with exercise, reading, and a cup of coffee is ideal for me. The ease of rolling over in bed, grabbing my phone, and just checking in gets me off of my morning routine.

To maintain healthy habits around technology in the morning, I don’t allow myself to even start scrolling until I have done what is most important to me.

The whole reason I like my quiet mornings is so that I can get off to the right start. Technology is a piece of my morning habits since the girls are still sleeping and it doesn’t take away from time with them.

An ideal morning for me looks like:

• 5:30 Wake Up
• 5:45-6:30 Gym
• 6:30-6:45 Connect with Mike
• 6:45-7:15 Read
• 7:15 Make Mike breakfast and say goodbye
• 7:30 Get Ready for the Day
• 8:00 Tech time~ reconcile finances, blog, emails
• 8:30 School starts

notebook

A big part of why I go pick up my phone is to add something to my to do list. I use my phone for so many different things. The reasons I pick up my phone are to:

• Add to my grocery list
• Text
• Check email
• Keep notes about blog ideas
• Post to Instagram

Some of these things can be done in a notebook. I do have a lot of thoughts during the day that I don’t want to forget. Keeping a notebook next to me and just jotting down ideas, to-dos, and random thoughts would be helpful.

Having a non-tech way to remember all that I want would help clear my mind and not be a distraction. The problem isn’t necessarily adding to my grocery list during the day. The problem is once I go to do that then I have opened the door to looking at the weather, scrolling through Pinterest, or just using tech as a way to procrastinate.

One quick thing on my phone becomes 15 mins of mindless scrolling. Going pack to paper and pen will help me to keep technology in a more healthy place.

evening habits

Our evenings revolve around family time. Dinner, read aloud books, puzzles, and hearing about each other’s days are ways we enjoy decompressing in the evening. This is the easiest time of day for me to be unplugged. When we are all home, the to-do list complete, and I am just spent, I have no desire to engage with tech.

Unplugging habits

• My phone goes on Do Not Disturb at 8:30 pm until 7:30 am.
• We don’t have a TV in our bedroom
• Plugging my laptop in away from where we are relaxing
• Charging my apple watch at 8:30 pm to reduce notifications

wrapping up

Technology is a positive way for me to use my creativity, glean new ideas, connect with others, and learn new skills. I want it to have a particular role in my life and not become a distraction that keeps me from what is most important.

What are your habits around technology use? How do you stay present with the people around you and not let it become a distraction?

Now, I am off to another website to place my grocery order. Oh, the blessing of technology!