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Welcome to Week 5 of the #TechLifeBalance Challenges! There is an incredible ripple happening through these challenges. Let's keep the #TechShabbat momentum going! But first, if you've tried a #TechShabbat or any of the challenges, we'd love for you take this 5 minute survey as part of our new research study with University of Pennsylvania about the impact of turning off screens regularly.
Character development, #TechShabbat, #TechLifeBalance, replacing screen time with things that bring you joy -- so much of what we're talking about comes down to ritual, repetition, and practice. Trying a #TechShabbat once, for example, is wonderful. But the beauty and long-term benefits come from making it a weekly ritual, something you can look forward to, something you can depend on, something that feels different from the rest of the week.
This week's challenge is all about creating (or celebrating, or bringing back) rituals that start and end your Tech Shabbat, and make your #TechShabbat yours. So start by thinking, what's one ritual -- something from your childhood, something you've heard about from a friend -- that you'd like to bring into your life. Did your grandparents start meals with a particular saying or ritual? Is there something you did every Sunday that had an impact on who you are? Make that ritual part of your #TechShabbat. Particularly important are rituals that begin and end this palace in time.
Here are a few ideas. The possibilities are endless. It's your #TechShabbat:
- Start your #TechShabbat with a meal with family or friends. It can be the same meal every week (family recipe?), or take-out, or anything else that works for you.
- Begin your #TechShabbat (solo or with others) asking three questions: What's one thing you learned this week? One thing you're grateful for? One thing you want to do or cultivate during #TechShabbat?
- Designate a drawer to put away your phone during #TechShabbat. Create some small ritual around turning off your phone each week.
- When it's time to power the phones back on, do something that brings you joy right before and after (go for a walk, then power on, then ______). Or any other ritual...it's your #TechShabbat. The more special you make it for you, the better the benefits.
Check out our complete Tips for Taking a #TechShabbat
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Created by Tiffany Shlain and Sawyer Steele
A film by Let it Ripple Film Studio
Music by Snow Patrol, “Set The Fire To The Third Bar (featuring Martha Wainwright)”
Courtesy of Interscope Records under license from Universal Music Enterprises
Dear Parent (2 mins) is the first film of our new series of short films (including Dear Student, Dear CEO, Dear Legislator, Dear Human, and more) about the relationship between character, technology, and humanity.
SHARE ON FACEBOOK | SHARE ON TWITTER
Created by Tiffany Shlain and Sawyer Steele
A film by Let it Ripple Film Studio
Dear Student (2 mins) is the second film of our new series of short films (including Dear Parent, Dear CEO, Dear Legislator, Dear Human, and more) about the relationship between character, technology, and humanity.
Check out our discussion questions for all different ages: Ages 4-8 | 9-14 | 15-18 | 19-99+
The Power of Ritual
Tiffany Shlain talks 24/6 and the Power of Unplugging One Day A Week
The Today Show
"Here are the pioneers of the new movement." - Maria Shriver
There Should Be More Rituals! The small acts that keep a society together.
By David Brooks | The New York Times
Recently I’ve been playing a game in my head called “There should be a ritual for. …” For example, there should be a ritual for when a felon has finished his sentence and is welcomed back whole into the community. There should be a ritual for when a family moves onto a street and the whole block throws a barbecue of welcome and membership.
Why Rituals Work
Scientific American
People engage in rituals with the intention of achieving a wide set of desired outcomes, from reducing their anxiety to boosting their confidence, alleviating their grief to performing well in a competition – or even making it rain. Recent research suggests that rituals may be more rational than they appear. Why? Because even simple rituals can be extremely effective.
Practice Makes Perseverance
by Angela Duckworth | Character Lab
Why do parents encourage their children to play baseball, soccer, or any other sport? Why, for years, did my husband drive our daughter Lucy to viola lessons? We know that most kids won’t grow up to go pro or make their living playing in an orchestra. So why, as a scientist, do I believe these endeavors matter?
How Rituals Alter the Brain to Help Us Perform Better. The Neuroscience of Rituals.
Psychology Today
There’s now mounting scientific evidence to show that despite their surface level irrationality, rituals play a crucial role in regulating our performance behaviors.