Are you an Infoholic?

This week, I came across a blog post about Information Addiction by Leo Babauta that really struck a chord with me (actually it knocked me off my rocker!).

Babauta suggests that you know you’re addicted to information if you:

• Check email, Facebook, news, or some other social network first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
• Are constantly on your mobile device when you’re away from home/office.
• Can’t get away from the computer in order to get outside, exercise, or spend time with people while disconnected.
• Are constantly posting to Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, or texting/emailing, when meeting with other people.
• Can’t get important work done because you have to check your messages.
• Feel anxiety if you’re completely disconnected for more than a few minutes.
• Can’t imagine spending an entire day disconnected.

While I didn’t answer “Yes” to all of these behaviors I have to admit responding positively to a few too many. UGH.

The Silver Lining is that Babauta offers a guide of tips and techniques to survive the constant pull of the online world.

The first steps can be done immediately:

1. Assess your habits.
2. Introduce the pause.
3. Take a break every hour.

To change habits, Babauta recommends allotting a month (or 2!) to:

1. Start with your biggest trigger.
2. Pick a replacement habit.
3. Do the new habit after the trigger, every time.
4. Use positive public pressure to ensure accountability.

To have a balanced life:

1. The idea is simply not to be controlled by information sources and to have a balanced life that includes other activities.
2. Schedule time for non-Internet and non-media activities.
3. Work without distractions.
4. Schedule a limited time for your information sources.
5. Cull your information sources and tools to the most important ones.
6. Get some sleep.

I hope that these recommendations are as helpful for you as they are for me (Silver Lining)! Signing off…