Cutting the MacBook Strings: bringing meaning back to "not working"

NEARLY TWO MONTHS AGO, MY FRIEND HAD A BABY.

But for all the time she spends feeding him, burping him, changing his diaper, putting him down, or picking him up, I’m pretty sure I currently spend more time each day with my laptop (#startuplife #onlinecoaching).

There’s an undeniable bond, and it’s created a problem: That little titanium bastard has been ruling my life.

It’s been a barely perceptible shift back and forth between working and not working. A seamless flow from one to the other. I’m either coaching and writing what I’m supposed to be writing, or I’m on Facebook or Netflix.

The not working part doesn’t feel like a break. Because I do it in the same position as I do the work: sitting at a table, hunched over like a hominid.

This all came to a screeeeeeching halt last Friday when none of my technology worked. No, seriously: none of it. I was forced to be incommunicado for most of the day, hanging at the Apple store for nearly 6 hours.

And it was a freakin’ revelation, I tell ya.

Panic quickly gave way to peace (once I knew I didn’t need to buy a new computer and that my phone wasn’t going to lose everything since November).

In the wake of this newfound freedom, I’ve made some tweaks. It’s only been a few days, but I feel way less…gross.

If your disturbingly intimate bond with the computer and online media has made work and goofing off one long, round-the-clock blur, try joining me in these steps to bring meaning back to “not working.” I can use the company.

Go back to old-school, offline funzies. Playing piano, reading People magazine, tweezing my eyebrows, going for a walk, talking on the phone. Spending time with real, physical people. The kind you can reach out and poke. Instagram and Twitter and Facebook and all that? Sure, as a break after I do my work. But not in between little bitty bits of work: Yay! I wrote a word! Any new DMs on Instagram? No. Bad.
When off the computer, close the computer. Otherwise, if I’m in the house, I won’t stick with my offline plan. I’ll keep drifting over to the computer. That jerk is like a magnet. Worse, I’ll just pick it up and bring it over to the couch, where I’ll cradle it on my lap while I watch TV. Then, I can’t even make it through a scene of Casual without rewinding three times, because I’m so distracted by my Google Drive files. (I’m still trying to decide whether it’s sad if I’m not disciplined enough to exclusively watch TV.)
Quit out of Mail while writing. Everyone knows you’re supposed to do that. I’ve actually started doing it and it works. I don’t know about you, but I can seldom ignore a new email. That highlighted new line item is the devil’s mating call.
Turn off iPhone while working. Come on. What’s the point of quitting out of Mail on the computer if I still check for emails coming in on my phone? While I already had a notification-free iPhone experience, there's something especially liberating about turning the whole dang thing entirely off.
Put my loved ones before the computer. I haven’t made any vows to anyone, but I’m writing them here now: Love of my life/beloved family/dear friends: I, Meghan, won’t ignore you to do work if I’m going to sit and stare at Facebook waiting for an @ reply instead of actually doing work.

Who's with me?