How to Slow Down Time

One of the most profound truths of the humaninstead of once a day. Put your phone on Do Not
condition is that the pace of scientific developmentDisturb for an hour or two while working on a
continuously accelerates. Because we're creatingparticularly important pleading or contract.
increasingly complex technologies at an ever-fasterTry turning off your cell phone when you get home in
pace, we sense time is passing more rapidly - and thusthe evening (or at least during dinner). Turn off your
it becomes more difficult to slow down. Furthermore,phone when you're at your kid's game. Or turn off
the addictive quality of our communication tools makesyour computer early one or two nights a week and
it difficult to disconnect from the always-on grid ofget back to a hobby or a family activity you used to
technology-driven life.enjoy (or don't spend as much time with as you'd like).
But, in order to be our best, we need to learn how toBy unplugging your communications technology for
manage the flood of fragmented information and theeven short periods of time, you'll gain focus (by
frenzy of instant accessibility. To serve our clientsreducing interruptions) and presence (the experience
most effectively, to nurture our personal relationships,of being in the moment more fully).
to think clearly about what matters most, to tend ourUnless we establish attitudinal and behavioral
health and happiness, we need to learn when and howboundaries to protect ourselves from the downside of
to disengage from the grid - even if for short amountsthe "always-on" milieu, we're at the mercy of the
of time."technological imperative." Life is brief enough as it is.
So this week, try to do some of the following: turn offYou can slow it down here and there (and reap the
your email alerts (or leave your email program closedbenefits of doing so), by selectively unplugging from the
for 2 hours each afternoon). If you subscribe to blogs,grid.
newsfeeds, etc, set them to come in once a week