Key Messages
Take a Technology Shabbat: Refresh and Reset to Get More Out of Life
Ever notice that you feel constantly overwhelmed and exhausted while everyone around you is looking down at a screen? Breaking free from this screen addiction is a must if you want to become more effective, healthy, and creative.
The author of 24/6 explains that taking a 24-hour break from your devices each week – what she calls Technology Shabbat – will help us slow time down and give us more of it.
You’ll be able to laugh more, appreciate the world around you in fine detail, and even get better sleep!
Plus, our relationships and health will improve as well when we press our reset button in order to get away from screens.
And with that time away from screens, we can become more creative as well as shape the future.
So set aside one day a week as a Technology Shabbat – not only for your own mental health but so that everyone around you can follow suit.
It’s Time to Reclaim Your Time and Establish Tech-Shabbat Traditions
Rest days have been present in human culture for thousands of years, dating all the way back to the Hebrew people’s Shabbat, or day of rest, which is even one of the Ten Commandments.
Following this principle, other religious and secular organizations alike have since adopted their own days of rest.
For example, Christians chose Sundays and Muslims opted for Fridays as their days free from work.
More recently, around the turn of the twentieth century, the weekend was established – having two days off from work gave individuals an opportunity to pursue various forms of education, worship activities and allowed family members to build relationships with each other.
However, due to increasingly technological advances in our economy today many people are finding themselves working on most of their weekends, not only hindering their productivity but putting their overall health at risk as well.
Therefore it’s more important now than ever to take back control of your time and recognize that although progress has been made in technology there are some things in life – such as restful days – that do not change over time.
Taking A Technology Sabbath: Why You Need to Take a Full Day off From Your Screens Each Week
Rest and sleep are essential components of our well-being.
According to 24/6, by author Tiffany Shlain, restful sleep increases efficiency and productivity in a person’s life or work.
Not taking adequate time for rest can result in a lack of alertness during the day, poor focus, and can even lead to damage to your brain through the buildup of beta-amyloid plaque.
It’s important to note that it isn’t just about getting enough hours of sleep per night.
During synaptic homeostasis, your body cleans out the by-products of normal brain function.
When you are sleeping, your brain is also sorting through information of the day and creating new connections between neurons.
This is why naps can be so beneficial; it gives your synapses time to reset themselves back to their normal size again.
Even famous minds before us like Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein and Salvador Dalí recognized the power of restorative sleep and its power on creativity – which explains why they often used ingenious methods like holding a key while they doze off!
How to Prepare for a Tech Shabbat: Gather Essential Equipment and Choose a Day to Unplug
When it comes to enjoying a successful Tech Shabbat, having the proper preparation is key.
You’ll need to have some special equipment on hand – such as a landline, analog watch, printer, boom box and pen & paper – in order to make your day go off without a hitch.
Having a landline and an analog watch will help you stay in touch with family and friends who may want to call you during this time of disconnecting from technology.
A printer will come in handy for printing out maps and essential phone numbers before your Tech Shabbat begins.
And don’t forget to get your music equipment sorted: either use a Boom Box or something with no screen for sound playback.
Lastly, paper & pen are essential items for capturing those thoughts & ideas you want to remember throughout the day so that you can make sure they hit the to-do list later on!
It’s also worth considering if taking photos is necessary: if not, just live in the moment!
But if you do decide to take pictures with your smartphone by any chance, be strict with yourself and make sure it gets turned back off after each photo is taken (no editing or sharing allowed).
Once all of that’s set up and ready to go, it’s all about picking the right day of the week that works best for you (weekend usually being ideal) and telling those around you of your plans so that they know not to disturb you during this time.
Then it’s just all down enjoying the hours that follow!
The Benefits of Letting Your Mind Wander and Switching off Your Phone
If you want to be productive and creative, it’s important to resist the temptation to let your screens distract you–whether you’re focused in task-positive mode or daydreaming in default mode.
We all know that digital devices can be a huge distraction from the here and now, often leading us astray from creative insights and productivity.
Standing at a bus stop, riding on the subway, or sitting in a doctor’s waiting room is a chance for our minds to wander freely, but these days it’s too easy for us to reach for our phones and let them take charge of our thinking instead.
Sure, we get something out of being led in circles by others’ ideas–but usually nothing more than some digital purchases or an undesirable agenda.
Reading books and watching movies are great ways to experience other worlds through someone else’s eyes; but again, if one click leads to another without purpose or creativity involved, then it’s probably time to switch your phone over to airplane mode!
Doing this allows both your default mode network & task positive network to do their best work–the former helps us come up with ideas and uncover solutions while the latter keeps us focused on our projects..
This way we’re sure that no call or text will get in our way.
Rethinking Technology and the Effects it Has on Us: Why We Need to Unplug and Create Positive Change for a Future We Want
As technology advances and more of our lives become digital, we must rethink our dependence on screens and consider the consequences.
With screens inescapable in our work and leisure, it’s easy to get caught up in a 24/7 cycle – but this can have serious effects on us and our children.
We need to look ahead: envisage the future we want to see, then work back from that idea to chart a course for ourselves and the rest of society.
In many areas, we could make significant progress.
For example, a ban on outdoor advertisement has brought peace and tidiness to São Paolo in Brazil.
Restricting advertising on social media ads will help reduce the constant bombardment by sales pitches.
Thinking even more widely, what will life be like with 11+ billion people in 2100? Automation may be widespread, but human qualities like creativity still set us apart – these skills are what education should prioritize now.
Disconnecting from screens helps us develop better critical thinking skills as well as greater appreciation for meaningful time with others – which is truly at the cutting edge of modernity right now!
Wrap Up
The main takeaway from 24/6, by Tanya Schevitz and Anthony M. Crichton, is that we need to limit our screen time in order to cultivate better health and wellbeing.
The authors suggest embracing a “Tech Shabbat” of not being on screens for a whole day once per week, which will help us increase productivity, foster creativity, and build stronger relationships.
The best way to get started implementing this is to make a list of all the activities you would like to do that don’t involve screens.
Such activities might include cooking, meeting friends for dinner or drinks, indulging in your favorite music or podcasts, gaming the old fashioned way with board games or cards, learning new languages, or even just sleeping in!
Taking the time out of technology and incorporating these activities on a regular basis will help you reap the rewards of “Tech Shabbat”.
