A previous post examined the interaction between mindfulness and technology. In that post, I promised to give some tips for using technology in a mindful fashion; this post is the fulfillment of that promise.
1. Learn the Keyboard Shortcuts
When working on a computer, it’s a good idea to shorten the time between trying to complete a task and actually being able to complete it. Doing so helps you stay in the moment rather than being frustrated by difficult navigation.
Internalizing the most common keyboard shortcuts (especially those that work across all programs and browsers) is a top notch way to more efficiently translate your thoughts onto a computer screen, which will help keep you focused on the present task and can make you more productive. My favorites, in an order, but not necessarily an order of preference:
- Ctrl+Z: undo
- Ctrl+Y: redo
- Ctrl+F: find
- Ctrl+Shift+T: reopen the browser window you just closed
- R: typing the letter r
2. Only Open One Window at a Time
Do you regularly have multiple browser windows or programs open at the same time? If I asked myself that same question, I would be talking to myself, but I would also have to answer yes. I struggle to focus on the window on which I am trying to focus when there are 17 other browser tabs or programs running at the same time.
Having many windows open and programs running will use up the memory and slow down the processing speed of both your computer and your brain.
3. Lose Yourself
A brilliant chart-topping song as well as something for which to strive while using your computer, lose yourself refers to entering into a state of flow1.
We all know flow when we see it: a computer programmer listening to dubstep, losing all sense of time and coding for hours on end; an experienced tuba player, grooving and fully immersed in a jazz solo; a blogger, when the words are really coming to him or her (him in this case); all are examples of “feeling in the zone.”
When working on a thought provoking task on the computer, don’t be afraid to lose yourself in the moment (you own it!), especially if it is a task in the intersection of what you are skilled at and what you find challenging.
Footnotes
- Flow is a concept coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced six-cent-mihal-y). He has the best name in psychology.
Intersections 