Time for Analog

“With everything you do, in fact, you should train yourself to question your repeated behaviors.” – Dan Ariely, Predictably Irrational

A day of staring at a screen ends in an evening with the glow of a device casting your shadow on the back wall. Any prolonged period of deep thought is destroyed by the unending notification pings from your phone. Repeating this schedule leads to days merging together into a week with no recognizable differences. Just as intermittent fasting does the body good, it is important to perform mental fasts as well. Break the cycle by planning for an analog night.

After a day full of disruptions, it’s easy to dive into a project in the evening with your device beside you. Unfortunately, this is a form of self sabotage. Studies show there is no such thing as multitasking and device use leads to more device use coupled with increased anxiety. An evening’s to-do list can easily unravel into non-action as your concentration is context switching from one thing to another. Each distraction requires a shift in focus back to what you were doing, ultimately adding time to the overall process. Not only is this inefficient, but it adds to your day’s mental exhaustion.

Taking an analog night allows you to metaphorically and mentally fast from your device’s distractions. Place your devices in another room. This allows you a rare opportunity to fully focus on the activity of your choice. Been meaning to read that book? Now is the time. Need to attack the mess in the garage? Focus all of your attention for an evening. Been pushing off date night with your partner? Put in the time to fully focus on one another. The number of endeavors are endless but the point is the same – whatever you do, do it without any devices present (sans distractions).

At the end of the evening, reflect on how the analog night went. Try to work the approach into one night a week. The goal is not to shun, but to take breaks from, technology. It should be mentioned, if the idea of placing your device in another room for an entire evening induces anxiety, it’s worth exploring ‘who is the master and who is the slave?’

Action: Put your phone in another room and have an analog night.

Further Reading:

Intermittent Fasting: What is it, and how does it work?

Are There Benefits of Multitasking?

Dependency on Smartphone Use and Its Association with Anxiety in Korea