I don’t think any credible writing about time management can start without acknowledging certain things. I am single, have no other responsibilities, work mostly remotely. and live typically either in a hotel or in an apartment with a weekly cleaning service, in a central part of town.
What is “No Computer Day?” It’s a day a week away from the computer, not working.
Why?
First two are practical. The third less so, but all the more important for it.
- Like a lot of tech workers, I spend a lot of time on the computer and experience wrist pain. I’ve found the most effective way to manage it is 1 day a week away from the computer and swimming ~3 times a week.
- Tech workers are weird in that we almost always have a working computer close at hand. This is not the case for everyone. A day a week mobile-only builds empathy. This used to be much harder, but things have got much better.
- It’s so easy to always be “working” but actually we often see things most clearly when we take a step back from them. It feels like every week I relearn how to disconnect. But often this is the day when I connect two things, or have some insight, that sets me up for success the following week.
When?
I like Saturday. It encourages me to finish things on Friday, and I find that sometimes I have a slower start day after “no computer day” and I don’t want that to be Monday! The first rule of “no computer day” is “no computer”, but the second is “go out and do something”. Recent things have been: an art gallery, the spa, the botanical gardens.
I’ve been building the habit of exploring the city I live in for a while. It’s all the more important when the reason to live there is work. For this reason sometimes “no computer day” is the most emotionally challenging day of the week, where I don’t distract myself with work, but try and embrace my temporary home and however it makes me feel.