5 Times to Use Airplane Mode, not on a plane. Harness the Wi-Fi Free joys of the Clouds!
IN MORE WAYS than one, the world seems to be heating up. The busyness, stress and caffeine, the political turmoil and environmental crises, the endless news and articles, the giffs, memes, texts, calls, alerts, ads, emails, snaps, likes, tweets, clips, wrong numbers, robocalls, and unsolicited opinions. The endless scrolling. ...Maybe it is time to think about "Airplane Mode" as a new philosophy and practice for when we are on the ground as well.
Yes, having your mobile smart phone always on, buzzing around you all day may take a real toll on your energy, focus, imagination, and even ability to connect with your surrounding environment. No, it's not the radiation, (though the fine print does say not to press it to your ear). It's to your psyche. It's like sending a message that you are available for interruption at all hours of the day. That what you are doing is not that important. That you can be notified, solicited and moved, according to others' schedules.
Airplane mode is a funny name for something that can be helpful in many situations. But it is a perfect metaphor. Like the airplane, this mode can help take you to your destination, to your focus or calm, to the end of your task, just plain faster. Putting this switch on for longer periods, like 1-2 hours (a short flight), might really help bring you into your focus and lift you above the noise.
Apple is now catching up to this need. Just this fall, the recent Mojave OS for Macs now offers several new focus and declutter related improvements, (such as Dark Mode, Stacks and even the 'Dynamic Desktop,' which puts you back into the rhythm of the natural day, the desert background darkens as dusk comes).
“It's like sending a message to your brain that you are available for interruption at all hours of the day.”
The Medium is the the Message
In his 1964 Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, philosopher and media theorist Marshall McLuhan famously stated "the medium is the message." ...If he had only seen the smart phone. What this popular phrase might mean in the context of our smart devices is that the way they function, the sharpness and speed with which they deliver us information, and the types of information they offer are in themselves stronger messages to our nervous systems and impressionable brains than the actual message we are getting from our coworkers, newsfeed or significant other. It is easy to overlook this; the medium hides behind the message, but it might be powerfully liberating every time we become more aware of it.
So what kinds of intrinsic messages do our smart phones give us? That more connection is always better. That it is always a good time to be notified and to have our attention pulled by any message, update or news. That it is good to have broken up digital conversations throughout the course of the day. That we deserve to be entertained at all times, and that the best way to find entertainment is through me (the smartphone) not you (the person) or your imagination. That more is always better. In reality it sends us thousands of these kinds of subliminal disempowering directives.
We often operate as if we are these perfect multitaskers, so that when our devices pull our attention this way or that, we rationalize that they only borrow or temporarily redirect our time, but in truth the psychological research shows that they can shatter focus, and that it sometimes takes us hours to recover from an interrupting text or a call. In this way, they steal and dilute our time and focus.
Our Brains Take Notice of Even the Smallest Messages We Give.
It is time to take an active role and personalize how we use digital communications and media. Many use simple scheduling to reclaim focus, taking specific times of the day to go through and answer emails or texts, or a specific time to check and research articles or news sites online. Airplane mode, Silent mode, or even better, putting physical space between you and the smartphone can enhance these methods. With awareness, we can bring structure to the chaos of the endless stream of digital communication.
Whether meditating, going to sleep or writing an important email, I love to turn on this little psychic signal: a signal that I will commit to what I am doing. To ensure no info will pull at me through my little screen portal! Even if I do not shut down down every possible form of communication, just to switch on the airplane mode slider reclaims a lot of power and concentration for me. It provides a subtle shift, an affirmation, that I am locked in and ready to focus on the task, (or relaxation).
All of a sudden you are back in control of when you get your messages. And when you are in offline bliss, (give or take). These are the five times and activities during which I find Airplane Mode most satisfying and useful:
5 Spaces to Use Airplane Mode
1. Sleep Grounded.
Turn this switch on right before bedtime, or even better, an hour before, and it could make the biggest difference. You send the signal that it is time to wind down and disconnect. For those of us who don't use our phones as an alarm... Even better, shut it off!
2. Meditate, Reset, Go for a Walk.
This one goes without saying. I find it tremendously helpful for getting into a meditative state of mind. By flicking the switch, I remind myself that I am entering a time when the outside world of messages is not my focus. It signals me to shift attention to my physical surroundings and sensations, out of mental chatter and into my body and the deeper parts of my mind. For a sitting meditation, your phone could be helpful as a timer, but on a walk, it might be best to practice leaving it at home. Give yourself physical as well as psychic distance.
“When you are online, make a specific intention. Don't let the internet or social media pull you however it trends."
3. At the Restaurant, Bar, Out with a Friend.
Get into the flow of conversation, enjoy that drink even more by making yourself completely present. Your friend will likely appreciate your conversation and friendship even more if you do not check your phone at every pause in conversation. We all remember a time when we were checking our phone while talking to a friend, and it doesn't feel good to be on either side of that distracted situation.
4. Working on One Task at Work.
Put aside social media distraction through the affirmation of airplane mode. Let the outside world melt away, and lock into your task, like you are pitching a no hitter.
5. Having your Morning Coffee and Journaling.
Break the cycle of business with a new day. In the morning, leave your phone off or on airplane mode for the first hour. Instead, be present with your morning, to what you want to do that day, and what will make you feel best and get into your best state before your day begins. It probably is not by mindlessly checking Facebook or responding or writing texts even before you have had a chance to fully wake up. Airplane mode could also be super helpful for a reflective period in the evening.
Applying Airplane Mode to the Rest of your Life
When you are online, make a specific intention. Don't let the internet or social media pull you however it trends that day. What are you hoping to get out of this visit to the internet? Do you want to connect with friends? Learn something new? Find something really engaging and entertaining? Just becoming aware of your intention(s) when you go online may help you shift and evolve them . Am I just going online to avoid something else? To simulate the sensation of being productive? You may start to catch when this is happening.
Applying this in my life I have found, that the pull to mindless social media scrolling immediately lessens. Web use becomes more succinct and fruitful. Knock off a job application. Research something that really interests you. Write a few heartfelt messages.
It is important to say, you may not need to totally use Airplane Mode all the time to get things done. Certainly, we all can multitask to an extent, and often it is absolutely (or at least moderately) necessary, but I think the big advantage to be gained by this is to use it some of the time, and to find the times when it might be most helpful and refreshing for you. Just doing it some of the time, I believe has the power to change and improve your relationship to your devices and digital communication. You will always know that you have the Airplane Mode tool in your toolbox.
You Don't Need to Go Anywhere to Take Off
What can we do to create more nourishing spaces in our lives? How can we take back our attention by building better structures and intuiting new ways to interact with the technology that surrounds us. Listen and ask yourself, what would your ideal relationship with it be? Technology creates more opportunity for depth, productivity and connection than has existed in any previous era of humanity. But it can also drain us and take us far away from our intentions, and make us the tools of it. Don't let your smart phone drift you away from the island of your intention and power.
Comments