No Computer Day.
Blogging is kind of relentless isn’t it? You post one item, only to feel a desperate urge to tell the world something else. Then you want to see what the world has got to say about it. And what that wonderful little boutique on Etsy is selling today and what your list of favorite bloggers have been doing over the weekend, and what ludicrous antics the celebs have been up to. And thats before you have checked your emails, perused your bank statement, ordered your groceries and neglected your children…
It’s too, too much. For all of us.
It fills our heads with stuff that isn’t real and seven days a week it simply isn’t healthy to have that quiet nagging sense of "I’ll just do this" before we turn our minds to real life…
And so that eminently sensible and ever talented lady, Toni at Simple Sparrow has joined her friend Blair (don’t miss her gorgeous Japanese Craft Book Library) in a weekly "No-Computer Day" and to me it seem’s like the perfect way to enjoy the emptiness of nothing long enough to turn our minds to more creative endeavours…
And so I’m in.
And in the meantime I am going to spend my morning organising my blogging life so that it doesn’t eat into every hour of every day…
1. Use Bloglines. Open an account, then type in the addresses of your favorite blogs and voila everytime those bloggers update their blogs you will be the first to know and you won’t have to waste time flicking backwards and forwards through other peoples sites…
2. Use a blog editor like Rocket Post, or Ecto, to schedule your blog posts, which not only means that you can work offline, but also means that you can do all your blogging while the kids are at school and have it magically appear whenever you want it to: great for when you are on holiday, or indeed for "No Computer Day"…
3. Change your browser. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that FireFox has changed my life. I work faster, and in a more focused manner and it allows me to integrate a lot of the tools I use for blogging (ie Del.icio.us, Google and Flickr) right into my toolbar: which means no more flicking windows for me. Try it- it is ludicrously easy to do and it really does make a difference.
4. Allocate specific time for blogging and switch your computer OFF when you have finished. There is hardly an email in the world so urgent it cannot wait till the morning.
Ok? Now there is time to craft, knit, bake, read and do all the other things that make Vintage HouseKeepers, Vintage HouseKeepers. Technology is intrusive and we shouldn’t allow it to dictate the way we run our days…
We just needed Toni and Blair to remind us.
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Oh goodness, that was timely. I can't have a no computer day (makes it a bit difficult to run an online shop!) but I realise that I'm completely addicted to email and know I start getting antsy when I can't check for orders etc. (though I only need to know which orders have come through when it comes to order packing time).
So I will join you in spirit by having some times during the day when I turn my computer OFF (or at least put it on standby 🙂
noooooooooooo!!! I am having palpitations just thinking about it. There must be a computer anon somewhere…just let me look on line.
You are so right. I have actually thought about deleting my blog all together because I spend too much time posting and reading everyone elses. Think I will try the no computer day and see how it works… thanks to you, Toni and Blair!
You are so right. I have actually thought about deleting my blog all together because I spend too much time posting and reading everyone elses. Think I will try the no computer day and see how it works… thanks to you, Toni and Blair!
I stumbled upon your lovely blog when I was looking through my typepad stats this morning. Thank you for all your kind words, and sharing your thoughts about needing a computer free day. It was a very necessary goal for me, and it proved to do so much for my mind. I had no choice except to participate in life on Friday, it was nice.
Bravo. Excellent post. So sensible, and while I depend on you for the lovely…to hear good common sense too is excellent.
I already use Firefox and Bloglines, but Rocket Post is a new one to me. Thanks so much for sharing that!
Anything to allow life to run more smoothly is wonderful for me!
Bravo. Excellent post. So sensible, and while I depend on you for the lovely…to hear good common sense too is excellent.
I already use Firefox and Bloglines, but Rocket Post is a new one to me. Thanks so much for sharing that!
Anything to allow life to run more smoothly is wonderful for me!
Ah, to have a no-computer day! I use mine to earn a living on ebay so it is not feasible but I did a somewhat modified version of this a while back. I have a choice few blogs saved to my bookmarks. I look at those. On a rare day, I might check another if someone mentions a rather interesting tidbit but I do try to limit myself to my favorites. If you have gotten comments from me, then you know you are on "the list". 🙂 Of course, I am a total lazy slob when it comes to updating my own blog so I don't waste any time there. I never feel I have anything worthy of reading on there anyway. My life tends to be rather mundane and same-old, same-old, but I do love reading others' little life tales. My days are warmed when I read of Finley's charming exploits! All in all, a PC Free Day is an excellent idea. I will get a whole WEEK and a HALF in April when we go on our cruise so that will truly be a vacation for me! One thing to suggest….don't all of you take the same day every week or those of us who are still feeding the addiction will go bonkers on that day! 😉
Ah, to have a no-computer day! I use mine to earn a living on ebay so it is not feasible but I did a somewhat modified version of this a while back. I have a choice few blogs saved to my bookmarks. I look at those. On a rare day, I might check another if someone mentions a rather interesting tidbit but I do try to limit myself to my favorites. If you have gotten comments from me, then you know you are on "the list". 🙂 Of course, I am a total lazy slob when it comes to updating my own blog so I don't waste any time there. I never feel I have anything worthy of reading on there anyway. My life tends to be rather mundane and same-old, same-old, but I do love reading others' little life tales. My days are warmed when I read of Finley's charming exploits! All in all, a PC Free Day is an excellent idea. I will get a whole WEEK and a HALF in April when we go on our cruise so that will truly be a vacation for me! One thing to suggest….don't all of you take the same day every week or those of us who are still feeding the addiction will go bonkers on that day! 😉
I have cut down drastically lately, becaue it WAS eating into my day far too much. Now, when I am finished in the mornings, I turn the thing off, and it doesn't go on again until after dinner – good aren't I? *lol*
So I should be able to wean myself into a no-computer day (fingers crossed).
I have cut down drastically lately, becaue it WAS eating into my day far too much. Now, when I am finished in the mornings, I turn the thing off, and it doesn't go on again until after dinner – good aren't I? *lol*
So I should be able to wean myself into a no-computer day (fingers crossed).
Alison! Wonderful post!! And you said it so well. Awesome that you will be joining us. My no computer day was so good for me, that I have added Wednesday also for this week.
Gasp!! I hope I didn't bite off more then I can chew 🙂 xox.
Alison! Wonderful post!! And you said it so well. Awesome that you will be joining us. My no computer day was so good for me, that I have added Wednesday also for this week.
Gasp!! I hope I didn't bite off more then I can chew 🙂 xox.