How can I take a break from the digital world?

There's a strange duality to being attached to machines that allow us to connect with others around the world in an instant. From cell phones to social networks that can transmit what you're doing right now in fractions of a second, communication these days is quick; easy; and, to a large degree, isolating. When you resort to electronic transmissions of information rather than speaking to someone in person or even over the phone, you lose a human touch to the experience. You also have a tendency to lose focus, as those transmissions become rapid-fire, frequent, distracting, and intrusive.

We admire people who make a choice to carve out time once or twice a week when they put down their smart phones and don't check their e-mail. It can be incredibly invigorating and stress-reducing to disconnect yourself occasionally from the digital world. See if you can designate a single day a week, perhaps a whole weekend from time to time, when you let the voice mail and the e-mail pile up. Detach yourself from the need to keep checking and responding to the constant, chattering influx -- much of which is not important, not urgent, and not helpful to your health and well-being.