Whether we like to admit it or not, technology is all around us. It consumes most of our days as we go back and forth between work emails, social media, and our favorite television shows. And if we’re not careful, technology has a strong tendency to take over and keep us from enjoying what matters most. We want to live rich, slow lives that are full of the good stuff, and if we want to live a life worth living, we must be intentional about how we spent our time. We’ve come up with a few boundaries to keep technology from taking over our lives (and our families’ lives!), so today we’re sharing them with you. Here’s what works for us:
- Set time limits. Choose a reasonable amount of time each day for your family to use their phones, iPads, etc, and stick to it! 10 minutes of social media after work or 30 minutes of tv before bedtime are good places to start. Find what works for your family and make it a habit.
- Plan for breaks. Give yourself a set time where you are committed to staying away from technology to soak up more of the good stuff. Have a social media free weekend, put your phone away an hour before bed time, or give your little ones specific days of the week where they’re not allowed to watch tv, play on their iPads, etc. Setting up these pre-determined times will help give your brain the break it needs from technology.
- Use your battery levels as a guide. If you’re ending each day with a dead battery on all of your devices, or need to recharge throughout the day, you’re probably spending too much time attached to technology. Try to end each day with a partially full battery on your phone, and you’ll be right on track for the next day!
