ConseCrate

Reflections on Shuffle-Play

I listened to a Ted talk recently about the importance of allowing oneself to be bored sometimes. In these modern times it is possible to fill in the cracks of every day with something. If we do have time to be still, so often the phone is out and we are shuffling through Facebook or Twitter. We quite literally don’t know how to just ‘be’ anymore and truth be told, I find it a little scary. I don’t like that my face is always buried in my phone. Even though I put it down when others are talking to me, I feel the itch to pick it up again, to get back to whatever pressing e-mail or post or text is on my mind.

In fact, I wonder if my relationship with my phone is part of what is making me feel so exhausted. As part of this same Ted talk, the presenter was talking about how when our brains are switching gears constantly, as they are when go from writing a document, to checking a text, to working on a sermon, to checking e-mail, to reading a news story, to watching a video, etc. that the brain can only do this so much. It changes the chemistry in the brain so that we need more and more stimulation. I imagine it is like eating Doritos – we get so used to the intense flavors that eating something natural and with a milder taste just doesn’t cut it anymore. More salt! More fat! And in a similar way our brains cry out for more stimulation, more activity, more hits of social media.

I quite literally have my phone in my hand most of the day. Even if social media isn’t a huge part of that (although some days it is more of my time than I like to admit) I listen to my music and podcasts on my phone, I keep my calendar on my phone, I revel in how ‘easy’ it makes my life. I love that I can work from anywhere because people can reach me anywhere. And yet, the way it makes me so constantly connected is part of what is so exhausting. There is NEVER any down time. From the moment I wake up until the moment I go to sleep I am plugged in to the world.

I think I need to take a break from it. I need to manage my relationship with my phone differently in hopes that if I allow my brain to slow down a bit, allow boredom to catch up with me a little, perhaps I can begin to feel more rested again.

I’ll start with a Facebook fast for the rest of the day. That sounds really good right now.

The 59th Street Bridge Song

Simon and Garfunkel