Have you sat on the toilet playing Candy Crush until your phone battery dies, and then though, “What the heck am I doing?
Or maybe you spent an entire day laying on the couch in a heap watching The Office… when then you notice the sun has set, and you’re still wearing your pajamas. You’ve wasted the entire day.
And then you tell yourself, “I deserve this. I deserve a break.”
Yeah, I’ve been there.
Actually, a few weeks ago I had a massive depressive episode.
Things had been building up…
My wife is pregnant, hormonal, stressed, and tired.
Coronavirus drama is everywhere.
Civil unrest all over the world.
I recently parted ways with a business partner.
I hadn’t been working out like I normally do.
And I was in a massive funk…
Ironically, the thing that sent me over the edge?...
It was the realization that I have such high aspirations and big goals for myself…
… and yet I’d been wasting an embarrassing amount of my time!
Netflix.
Reddit.
Youtube.
Facebook.
Instagram.
Video games.
Choose your poison.
More than a dozen hours in front of a screen day after day.
I thought about the hours I’d lost.
And how those hours added up to days… that added up to weeks…
Wasted.
Time I could never get back.
Books that could have been written.
Memories that could have been made.
Creative projects that could have been launched.
Talents that could have been developed.
All that potential squandered.
My guess is that you aren’t much different from me, and that not living up to your own potential is one of the most depressing things you can experience.
And it’s 1,000 times worse when the only person you can blame for wasting your life away is… yourself.
And what’s worse, when I get depressed like this, I often withdraw from my relationship with my wife.
Shame does that to me.
Can you relate?
When I was in the dumps, I reached out to my writing buddy, Sini.
We’re both working on books right now. His is about Technology Dependence and how it’s destroying our lives.
I said, “Sini. I’m in a funk. I need help. Can we talk about this? And can I record it in case anyone else finds it useful?”
“Of course!” he said. (He’s a good dude like that.)
We all know that technology can completely ruin our relationships.
But if you’re REALLY honest with yourself… like, really, truly honest… how is technology impacting your emotional and mental health?
Does it uplift you, or leave you feeling empty?
Does it energize you, or drain you?
Does it help you stay engaged and present, or does it distract you?
Does it make you feel better about yourself, or does it exploit your insecurities?
When you turn off the screen do you think, “Wow, I’m glad I did that?” or do you feel a sense of regret?
And if the impact is generally negative on you… what are you going to do about it?
(I honestly want to know! If you have had a positive experience disconnecting from technology in some way, I want to hear about it.)
We’re in this together.
I don’t want to look back on my life and realize I spent all my time looking at cat memes, playing with filters on my camera, and watching #Fail videos on Youtube.
I want it to be full of memories, and laughter, and adventures.
And I can’t get that from behind a screen.