Getting Unplugged in a Plugged-In World
by Tom Terez
Can you do nothing? That's right, NOTHING. Can you sit in utter calm for 15 straight
minutes and do absolutely nothing and contemplate nothing and just let time pass
without hearing the clock tick?
I know, these are strange questions, especially when there's so much that needs to
get done. Let's set them aside for a moment so I can tell you about Loretta.
Several years ago, I was standing in line waiting to board an airplane. A man in
front of me turned around, looked straight in my eyes, paused for about 10 seconds,
then asked: "Did you tell Loretta?"
"Loretta?" I said. I knew several Lauras, two Lynnettes, and one Lorna.
But I couldn't recall any Lorettas.
The man stared at me for an endless minute. I looked back uncomfortably, searching
my memory for a long-lost Loretta. Then he asked another question: "Does she
have the file?"
What Loretta? What file? "I have no idea," I replied, completely befuddled.
He turned away. "Okay, I just wanted to make sure," he said. "I'll
see you tomorrow at the office." Then he lifted his hand and pulled a tiny earpiece
from his ear -- making me my own private laughingstock. All along, he had been talking
on his cell phone with a buddy back at work.
I've fallen into the Loretta trap several times since then, engaging in peculiar
one-way conversations with cell-connected strangers. It's more amusing than embarrassing,
but more than anything, it's revealing.
We've become walking ports, stuffed to the eardrums with cell phones, iPods, and
other inputs. We're checking e-mail, surfing the Web, downloading documents, and
pounding our keyboards to finish those deadline-driven projects. We're loading up
on coffee, meeting with colleagues, multi-tasking, and staying late. We're in constant
motion, leaning forward, living the "bias for action" that's prized in
so many organizations.
We're great at doing things -- and awful at doing nothing.
Sleep should force us to slow down, but when people go to bed, their mental hard
drives often keep whirring. That's one reason why prescriptions for sleeping pills
have climbed nearly 60% since 2000, according to researchers at IMS Health. Weekends
should ease stress, but the relief is often temporary. More people suffer heart attacks
on Monday mornings than at any other time of the week.
This miserable state of affairs came to mind a year ago, when a friend offered to
teach me the basics of meditation. I resisted at first, in part because it was so
different from my usual way of doing things, and because it seemed so passive and
unproduc- tive. It didn't help when she told me to sit cross-legged on a cushion
-- something I hadn't done since sixth grade. "Keep your spine well-aligned,"
she said. "When you sit up straight, your lungs fully expand and your body gets
more oxygen."
I started thinking about all the other, more important things I could be doing. Then
she began to explain how meditation can help us clear the mind. By focusing on nothing
but the rhythmic inhale and exhale of our own breathing, we can achieve some- thing
that's virtually unattainable in today's busy word: a state of complete calm.
"Our thoughts are like wild horses constantly on the move," she said. I
silently agreed, wishing I could saddle up and gallop out of the room.
As you begin to meditate, she continued, these wild horses will keep jumping around.
You'll think about the overdue library books, the squeaky brakes on the car, the
upcoming dental appointment, the big deadline for a work-related project, the sound
of the fan in the room, the squawking bird outside, and on and on. The challenge
is to avoid these thoughts -- basically, to think about nothing.
What if the wild horses won't go away? I asked.
"When you have a thought," she explained, "quickly give it a one-
word label. In your mind, say 'thinking' -- then let it go."
All this talk about wild horses made me more than a little skeptical, but I decided
to give it a try. I straightened my posture, then I began to listen to the inhale
and exhale of my breathing. Silence filled the room, and for 30 seconds, I could
feel a newfound sense of relaxation. It's working, I thought.
And then it happened. My mind turned into an open field of frantic mustangs. The
inner dialogue went something like this:
As new thoughts popped into my head, I dutifully applied the label -- thinking! --
and let them go. I tried to stay focused on my breathing. Gradually, the mental mustangs
began to settle down, just like my friend had predicted. After 20 minutes I could
feel a sense of calm, and by 30 minutes, the calm turned into a feeling of renewal.
I had achieved...nothing. And it felt great.
After that first experience, I learned more about meditation. (A great first book
is "Wherever You Go, There You Are," by Jon Kabat-Zinn.) I experimented
with five-minute segments, 10 minutes, and so on. I developed my own techniques and
favorite approach. In the process, I came to appreciate the long-term benefits: less
mental clutter, reduced stress, a greater ability to sift top priorities from the
small stuff, a clearer head when making decisions, more confidence.
Why don't you see for yourself? Turn off the cell phone, set aside your work, and
sit still for 15 minutes. Put all your focus on the rhythm of your breathing. Do
nothing else. As thoughts emerged, wrap them in the "thinking" label and
immediately let them go. Shut down all the inputs and simply be.
If you're a very busy person, this might sound like a big waste of time. If you're
a born cynic, you might be rolling your eyes. If you gain comfort from cell phones,
iPods, and other external connections, you might worry that you'll miss something.
I understand all these objections because I had them myself. Push them back for just
15 minutes. If you can't handle a full 15, try it for 10. See what happens.
You don't need to sit cross-legged. You don't need special skills. You don't need
a particular place.
Heck, you can even do this while waiting to board an airplane. It's a great way to
fend off those plugged-in people who are asking about Loretta.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tom Terez is a speaker, workshop leader, and author of the book 22 Keys to Creating
a Meaningful Workplace. Visit him online at TomTerez.com, BetterWorkplaceNow.com, and InnerBest.com.
Copyright 2007 Tom Terez. All rights reserved.