Digital Distraction
NATURE OBSERVATION
You can now buy printed reproductions of my hand-painted watercolor and ink Nature Observation Journals on Amazon!
Something clicked inside of me a few weeks ago. I can't really put a finger on what triggered the click, but I can tell you that there were many years of buildup behind that one single moment.
In a moment — or so it seemed — I realized that I was done allowing my attention to be captured by all the fun colored buttons on my phone, and the flashing notifications it displays, and the endless stream of content that's readily available to consume all day every day on a gazillion different web platforms.
I'd been feeling for a long while that allowing my attention to be so scattered, was significantly impacting my life. It was pulling me away from making any real, quality progress on the tasks and projects that matter most to me.
But I didn't want to give any of it up, because I was addicted to it! I mean, all of that technology is designed to be addictive, so I know I wasn't alone in that.
After that internal click though, I deleted all the colored buttons on my phone that I habitually used to consume content, and I stopped mindlessly scrolling through YouTube, which was my thing.
(I still use YouTube and will use Pinterest in the future, but only when I'm looking for something specific. I'm also still watching Netflix at night, but only after I'm done with the day).
These simple changes have made a major impact in my life. I've been writing more, and drawing and painting again.
I actually spent 8 hours painting this week, listening to nothing but the sounds outside my window. It was so peaceful and productive!
I remember the last year before I got my first smart phone. It's easy for me to recall, because it was my last year living in Madrid, Spain. I had a simple cell phone that I could call and text from, and that was it. And because calls and texts were way more expensive back then, I significantly limited my usage.
Instead I spent my free time in person with my friends, or walking through the city, or reading, or painting. I did take pictures and upload them to Facebook, but it was back when the platform was very simple. I wasn't at all addicted to it.
Life felt more substantial then, and not just because I was living in another country — because I grew tired of that toward the end — but I was actually living more life in the physical world, than I have for the last 16 years, since I've had a smart phone.
And that's a little depressing when I think about it.
But it's never too late to turn things around.
Hi, I’m Kristen!
I envision a world where you and I rediscover what it is to be human, through connection with ourselves, each other and the natural world around us.