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By Lynne S. Dumas
Technology's been getting a bad rap these days, blamed for loading
us up with so much information and placing so many demands on our
time that it's pushed our stress meters into the red zone. But a
recent FamilyPC online survey of its readers sheds a more positive
light on the technology revolution.
Clearly, respondents appreciate the benefits technology affords
them at home and at work. Still, they're aware that electronic devices
can place more demands on their already busy lives. And when technology
goes awry, it can raise stress levels significantly.
According to the online responses of 804 adults, more than half
(55 percent) believe technology has improved their overall lives
and allowed them to live fuller, more productive ones.
As for e-stress, only 18 percent believe they would have less stress
in their lives if they weren't so plugged in; more than one-third
of respondents (34 percent) disagree strongly with that notion.
Similarly, only 17 percent feel they could devote more time to their
families if they weren't so plugged in, while 34 percent feel that
isn't true.
- Set Boundaries. To protect private time and family intimacy,
unplug during meals and carve out no-technology times during evenings
or weekends. Tell your colleagues you don't answer e-mail after
7 p.m. or on weekends.
- Make choices. Just because a new product comes on the
market doesn't mean you have to use it. Think through whether
you really need it: Does the stress of learning a new technology
outweigh the benefits it might provide? Also remember that you
can limit the impact of things you do use. You don't have to give
your cell phone number or e-mail address to everyone.
- Use technology to control its impact. Leave a message
on your answering machine that says, "From 6 to 8 every night
is family time; we don't answer the phone or pick up messages."
If your cell phone adds stress, leave a message on it saying,
"I don't check messages on this phone, so don't leave one."
Let people know your limits - and then stick to them.
- Balance your life. Just as parents need to ensure that
their children don't spend too much time on the computer or in
front of the television, set similar rules for yourself. Go out
for a walk; make sure you get regular exercise; stay connected
to nature. Play with the kids and the dog. Develop some hobbies
that don't require plugging in. In other words, suggests Rosen,
"get a life."
- Be reasonable about your expectations. Information overload
is swamping everyone. "There's too much information out there;
people never feel like they're done," says Larry Rosen, Ph.D.,
co-author of TechnoStress: Coping With Technology @Work @Home
@Play (John Wiley & Sons, www.technostress.com). "Give
yourself a certain amount of time to research something, and then
let it go. You can't know it all. Nobody can."
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