Dear Patient,
Over the holidays the email app on my computer crashed. I’ll spare you the boring technical details about getting it back online, but I ended up going a full week without checking email—my longest break in years. When I finally got it working again and the new messages started loading up, I was relieved…and a little terrified about what awaited me.
Turns out it was mostly junk mail, a few interesting articles, a handful of messages that warranted a reply, and absolutely nothing that needed my immediate attention. In fact it was a welcome respite that aligned perfectly with a long overdue family gathering. Instead of obsessively trying to manage my inbox, I played games, enjoyed meals, and chased my parents’ puppy around the house. I only charged up my laptop once for the entire week.
Our devices aren’t inherently bad. Email is a revolutionary means of communication (and hey, if you’re subscribed to my daily email—thanks!). But devices and apps have this terrible tendency to pull us away from the living, breathing people right in front of us. We turn to our devices to help us feel more connected, when often they have the opposite effect. Think about it—when’s the last time you checked your email while simultaneously feeling relaxed, or having fun, or holding a meaningful conversation?
So maybe we should all try to work in more breaks from technology. The next time I go on vacation, I might even see if I can crash my email app again.
Love and gratitude,
Your Acupuncturist
P.S. For resources on how to achieve more balance between screen time and real life, I highly recommend reading How to Break Up with Your Phone by Catherine Price, or anything by Cal Newport.