How to survive in the digital age (without always being digital)

To the disbelief of my coworkers, family, friends and just about everyone I meet, I work in the world of PR and social media and I have no cable or internet at my apartment.  Maybe it was my lack of motivation in actually going through the set-up process, but it was mostly for the sanity of disconnecting for a couple of hours a day.

Jacob Geiger of Work it, Richmond wrote an article last summer that spoke to vacations and the need to disconnect from your devices.  I’ve simply taken that principle and have blown it out to a full time practice.  How does one survive without constantly being tuned in, turned on and plugged into the internet stratosphere?   Easy – it’s all about time management.

  1. Outline tasks on a daily basis, breaking down larger projects over a set time span. By jotting down your to-do list, you can visually see how much you have/need to achieve before the end of the day. With larger projects, even in school, I segment out the project over a couple of days, which prevents me from being bogged down and makes a larger, scary task seem like a piece of cake.
  2. Working within the confines of a work day keeps you on task and on deadline. Who doesn’t work better with a deadline? When I walk into work, it is a t-minus countdown until I lose internet access. Having that on your radar helps sharpen focus and gets works completed.
  3. Find the time and an outlet to decompress in your hours outside of the office. I turn my day into a decompress sandwich. I’m up early for a workout, go into the office for a full day’s work then go home where I read, get lost in a good movie or catch up on some reading.

Sure I still have a smartphone (a Blackberry, so I’m only barely connected) that I check emails and my Twitter feeds while at my apartment.  However, it’s mostly for the occasion tweet or Facebook post.

Do you have any disconnect routines? Could you (or do you) live with being connected 24/7? Leave a note in the comments. I’ll check it during business hours.

Casey Prentice

A self-proclaimed organizational junkie and data geek who confesses to a secret desire to be a professional organizer, Casey enjoys account management, writing, editing and digital content strategy. Her agency work has helped clients like Virginia’s Community Colleges, VCUarts and Swedish Match.

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