It's Over

Our one week Tech Fast officially ends today. 
Which means I can now blog from home...which I am doing

Some lessons learned  ( from my perspective)
 I check email a lot. 
I check it because I can not because I need to. Really, any time there was a pause in my life, I reached for my phone.    And, once I am on email, I often get sucked into other things.  I'm considering scheduling time to check my email. 

Limiting access frustrated some people. 
I was surprised and uncomfortable by this.  I don't like to upset people. Next time I will do a better job of letting people know when I'm available and how to contact me if you REALLY need a response quickly.  And, I want to experiment with how to use technology in ways that support my life...so I may have to get more comfortable with people being frustrated with me ( this may include my kids.)

It was challenging business-wise
Technology takes some bandwidth for me. I am learning a lot related to how to run a small business...including quite a bit of online learning.  I do have easy access to the library and there were times when it was not convenient.  And I lived through it. 

I liked my off line time
I read, drew, talked with people, went on my walks, went to bed early.  It was healthy to have protected off line time.  I would do it again.

Blogging at the Library

Blogging about a tech fast when you work from home presents a bit of a challenge.

So, I am at our local library...which lucky for me is a short walk from our home, is beautiful and has free internet. 

Three benefits to blogging from the library:

- I am making good use of a local resource.  Hopefully they get to count my presence as support and proof of a good investment of tax dollars.  ( I love libraries!)

-I schedule my time and set limits....this is something I need to do as newly self employed.

-Exercise:  I have to walk to get here...it's a short walk but it is a walk!

More benefits to a tech fast..

I got home yesterday (Sunday.) 

 Usually after being on the road , I would have booted up my laptop to catch up on email.

But, that was not an option.  So I chatted with family, took at walk and visited a friend, broke a string trying to tune my new used guitar ( which I bought from my niece, Maddy!), did some drawing and went to bed early!  And when I got on today to catch up on email...the world was still there!

I really appreciated not having the choice yesterday!  Because when I do have the choice...I almost always go on line.

Tech Fast: First Impressions

Julie- I'm feeling guilty because I'm not home experiencing our experiment.  I am staying at places with internet.  Do I use it? Is that fair?  My compromise- set limits.  I'm on this morning to check email and blog and going to try staying off the rest of the day.

My mom-  I was surprised by her reaction.  She sounded ( via email) mad.  "I'm ticked."  ( that sounds mad doesn't it)  Her perspective: email is how she communicates...will she be cut off from us?

I've emailed to explain that we are an easy 10 minute walk from our awesome public library that has free internet access from 9-9 weekdays and 9-5 Saturday.

My sister-  Sent a link to Camp Grounded...a summer camp experience that is tech free for adults.  It looks fun. You can check it out here  http://campgrounded.org/about

Mark:  When I checked in with Mark this morning (via email) here is what he said

"It has been going well.  We just hung in the kitchen chatting last night.  I like it much better than being in our separate rooms looking into light boxes.

 

Really it has been going well.  Nate and I are making dinner tonight.  Hamburgers on the grill.  Wouldn’t happen if we had the modem on.

 

Being bored is a lost art."

Logistical note: There has been a change in the "rules"  Two weeks sounded too long...we are going to try one week 4 times a year.

I don't have the boys' perspective.  They are not big email users when they do have access to internet...so I'm going to wait until I am back home to interview them.

Stay tuned...more to come

Taking a Break from Technology

The idea: What if we turned off the internet for two weeks?

Take a technological fast....a digital sabbatical.....


This is not the most popular challenge we have ever done...

in fact...it is quite possibly the least popular ( at least with our sons)

Mark and I have talked about the impact of technology on our family many times.

The amount of time playing video games is a hot topic....but we also notice that at night we are most likely to all be on separate devices.  I know I check my email more times than I need to....because I can.  And I turn on my lap top whenever I am bored.

We have tried setting limits...one internet free day a week, no internet after 9pm.   This has its merits, though it also makes either Mark or I feel like the internet police.  Who gets the popular job of reminding people it's time to get off?

Mark's suggestion was to try a complete fast.  Go cold turkey for long enough that we get our technology habits out of our systems.  

One week?  Mark thought..not long enough...so we ( meaning Mark and I ) decided to try two weeks for the first experiment.

I've been doing some checking...there are people "in this sandbox"

The Creative Benefits of taking Mini-Sabbaticals from all your Various Screens