This Holiday Season Gift Yourself a Digital Siesta: 4 EASY STEPS
When I taught English in southern China to middle and high school students, a siesta after lunch (午睡 in Chinese meaning afternoon nap) was built into our daily routines. As an American I was more familiar with the shove-food-down-throat-quickly type of lunch “break”, and therefore didn’t know what to do with myself.
I experimented with different things. Sometimes I did nap to escape the over 100 degree weather outside. Other times I exercised, walked around my neighborhood, read books or wrote.
Eventually I embraced this gift of extra time and learned it didn’t matter what I did as long as I disconnected from my daily work. The siesta outcomes were the same - I felt rested, relaxed, and rejuvenated for the rest of my work day.
However, I lived in China back in 2001, the halcyon days of dial up internet, ethernet cords, AOL chat, and CD walkmans. It seemed easier to take a mental and physical siesta.
Being alive in the world today means digital is everywhere and on all the time. I can work on a beach in Bali after a surf lesson (cool), but also that I can answer emails and schedule video calls 24/7 (not cool).
How can we disconnect from our daily work when it’s all around us, sometimes even attached to our wrists? (I still don’t understand the need for an Apple Watch.)
In order to be my best, most productive, creative, imaginative, happy self, I need to disconnect from digital. I need to rejuvenate my brain cells, my eyeballs, my fingertips, my hunched over shoulders and take what I call a “Digital Siesta”.
HOW TO TAKE A DIGITAL SIESTA: 4 EASY STEPS
1. BE A HUMAN - check your pulse to be sure you’re not a robot
2. STAND UP - opposite of sitting down
3. WALK AWAY FROM YOUR WORKSPACE - any space in which you work
4. DO SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE A SCREEN, WIFI, OR ANYTHING DIGITAL - Go outside if you can and engage your senses because remember, you’re human and alive
Do this daily from anywhere between 2 minutes to 2 hours and I guarantee you will be a better version of yourself for the low cost of nothing.
Go forth and be human. Happy holidays!
*Read more about why taking a break is good for your health and take the challenge I created with Hudson Square Bid! #DigitalSiesta