How many times do you find yourself moving from one screen at work to another after work? Let's face it, a lot of us sit in front of a computer most of the day because we're so-called "knowledge workers." But do you ever find that after a hard day of work you come home and plop yourself right back down in front of the computer again? Arguably you are probably not working any longer, maybe you're reading your personal email, browsing Facebook, or checking out the latest lolcats. This might be how you relax, what you do for fun. I do too.
I'm guilty of this all the time. Some of you may choose a different screen to sit in front of, the TV. I even do this too and I don't have cable! (Though I do have a very active Netflix account.) Lately, I've been starting to feel more guilty about this. Perhaps it's the time change. It's dark at 5:30pm now and I feel like the day is over before I'm even home from work.
But there's something to be said for "unplugging" and doing something besides sitting in front of the screen. Even boring chores like washing the dishes or doing the laundry give me a refreshing sense of activity compared to sitting in front of the computer. I find I feel even better if I walk downtown to run errands or just go for a stroll with my wife.
I think a big part of this feeling is that although I love computers and the internet, sometimes I feel like life is passing me by while I surf the web. Ferris Bueller said, "Life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it." I hesitate to make any commitment to changing my own behavior but I'm definitely going to try to be more conscious of this and limit the time I spend sitting in front of a screen, at least at home. I challenge everyone to give it a try. Force yourself to take a "screen break" for at least two hours after you get home from work. Instead, spend the time talking to your spouse, cooking dinner, or doing some reading. See if it improves the quality of your life.
(Yes, this is an actual photo of my apartment.)
2 comments:
I agree! In fact, why am I sitting in front of this computer right now? OK, that's it, I'm getting off it for the night.
I've been on the computer once for 24 hours. Went all day, and then all night. I am addicted. I think I need to shut this thing off and go to bed.
Maybe not turn it on for another 2 days or even a week. (or maybe even a year) Lol
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