Sandie O'Neill is a digital inclusion evangelist, coach and Tribal Leader at The Agile Village. She facilitates workshops utilising the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methodology to build online communities.

Her vision is an empowered connected world where everyone has a voice.

 

 

With Christmas just under four weeks away, the New Year is right around the corner! Like so many people, I find it a fantastic time for new beginnings, reflecting on the way I live my life, contemplating what things I would like to learn and being a little bit healthier. With that in mind I am thinking maybe it’s time for a bit of a digital detox, not that I am really that attached to my technology.

Did you know that ‘Digital Detox’ is actually now a recognised term?

The English Oxford Dictionary definition of digital detox is “A period of time during which a person refrains from using electronic devices such as smartphones or computers, regarded as an opportunity to reduce stress or focus on social interaction in the physical world”.

This new year would be a great time to reduce my stress and reconnect. So, for the month of January, I am going to go technology free. It will be easy, a no brainer!!

I am going to leap out of bed in the mornings refreshed after getting a great night's sleep. Though I am going to have to find an alarm clock somewhere? I always use my phone as my alarm. Wonder what the weather is going to be, no more weatherzone for me, maybe I’ll just have to put my head out the window and see what the day is like outside.

It will be a great time to catch up on some reading – hmm that’s a bit of a problem as all of my books are  e-books. I might have to see if I can dig out an actual book or two, I think there are some in the garage. Maybe this will be a little harder than I thought?

To help me along I am going to leave my phone in my office and my computer turned off. The iPad will be out of bounds. I plan to spend some face to face time with my family and friends.

Maybe we could go on a bit of an adventure! Sounds fabulous, but there is a catch! It’s going to have to be somewhere I know how to get to as I won’t be able to use Google maps.  But all will be good, I can enjoy listening to my favourite music as we travel. Oops another problem, wonder if I still have some CDs stashed somewhere, normally I stream Spotify from my phone. Looks like it might be the month for retro music, as I don’t think I have any new music on CD. This is now sounding all a little too complicated.

If I can’t use my computer I won’t be able to get my groceries online.

Oh no, I am going to have to brave the shopping centre!

And, I will have to find a pen and write a list!

What am I going to cook? All of my recipes are on my iPad!

Not only is this hard, we are going to die of starvation!

Maybe I’ll just leave it until the next January.

Anyway I am definitely not that attached to my technology.

Read Part Two - Is it time for a Digital Detox?