Tips for a Email & Social Detox from an iPhone Addicted Workaholic
I thought taking three weeks off to vacation in Europe while simultaneously trying to launch a new department at work was going to be impossible. But it wasn't.
Here are a few tips if you're taking a social media and email detox - but still have to stay in touch for business reasons:
- Dedicate an Email Address for Must Reads: I started out saying, "I will not check work email." I have a fantastic backup who was managing in my stead. I trusted her to handle what was happening on the ground and referred all of my out of office to her. BUT. In case she or my boss or my recruiter needed me to make a decision on something, I gave them a specific gmail to reach me on. I only checked that.
- Set Office Hours: When I say, "I only checked that." what I really mean is... Before I left, I told the folks who had access to that email that I would be available only on two dates of my three week vacation. Those were dates that I knew I would be at a hotel that had a business center or wifi. So, when I say, set office hours... in three weeks, I probably spent a maximum of an hour or two a week on business.
- Adjust Your Smartphone Settings: Part of my addiction to my iPhone is the Pavlovian red dot with the number of messages. I turned off all notifications. I also turned off data roaming so that I didn't accrue a lot of overseas charges - which then in turn, only allowed me to get access when I had wifi.... which was rare. Finally, I kept my iPhone on airplane mode. It really helped me resist the desire to check early on when I was breaking the habit. Bonus: It's AMAZING how long your iPhone battery lasts in airplane mode. I was mostly using it as a camera and could go for days!
- Prioritize Social: For me, I knew I wanted to stay off of social for the most part. I didn't tweet. But, I liked accessing Instagram for photo editing still. I used What's App (some, when it worked with janky wifi) to communicate and coordinate meet ups with friends in Europe. I shared photos from my brother's wedding with close friends and other wedding guests on Facebook. Mostly, I just didn't. It helps if you pick places to stay that really don't have functioning wifi.
- Let It Go: You seriously have to just stop and let it go. Because I had folks I trusted running my office while I was gone, I could. I really didn't check work email at all. And you know what, I'm back today and while there's a lot to catch up on, it's fine.
- Have a Plan When You Get Back: On my first day back, I kept my calendar clear except for a lunch catch up with the team managing while I was out. I moved all of the emails from my vacation into an "Out of Office" folder where I can find anything I might need... but I'm not pressuring myself to go back through 2,000 emails. (Don't be crazy. Sort "from" and make sure you didn't miss anything from your boss or key contacts.)
Now that I'm back, I'm thinking a lot about how I can leverage what I learned to be less addicted. I'm leaving off notifications for the most part. I'm setting specific times to check and respond to email. And I'm hoping to better prioritize any time spent on social media. I'm going to see how long I can prolong the parameters that helped keep things manageable on the road.