What does this actually mean? Let me explain.
When my phone overheated and didn’t turn back on, I was forced to go a whole day without the companionships of my phone and it became clear to me how much time and attention I directed towards my phone/technology.
During the 24 hours, I had to improvise on how to communicate with my clients, friends and family utilizing email and wifi.
This is a wonderful thing, not being able to be reached immediately has a wonderful way of freeing up your time so you can concentrate or pay attention to tasks or events that are important to you.
According to a study done by Microsoft, the human attention span has decreased from 12 seconds to 8 seconds. We are increasingly distracted by outside forces and technology is enabling our brain to focus less on one objective.
After completing a day of clients and errands without a smart phone, I realized that I didn’t need to be fully connected to the world and somehow the world miraculously continued on without me. That morning, I felt more present with my clients which lead to more meaningful outcomes which helped my clients and my own soul and business. Even during my time waiting at the Apple store I was able to practice mindful meditation which made me more aware of all my thoughts and experiences.
Sitting with myself and my own thoughts was worth more than mindlessly scrolling through social media or reading the news. It gave me time to reflect and understand the period of life that I am currently experiencing. This process of mindful attention seeking is worth more than a fancy distraction.
What did I learn from this experience?
- My attention is constantly being grabbed in multiple directions and if I don’t make a consistent and conscious effort to choose what I focus on then my mind and attention will be hijacked.
- It is okay to be with your own thoughts, if you do this more often you might learn something about yourself and gain some peace of mind.
- It’s okay to disconnect, the world will go on, and so will you.