What is #TechSabbath and why you need to do it?

Wake up…
Check your phone.
Head to work…
Check your phone and laptop.
Head home…
Check your phone, TV, iPad, XBox, etc.
Go to Sleep
REPEAT

Does this describe your day? Week? Life? For most people, this is the experience we call “life”. In a city like Seattle, where work-life balance is achievable, this tech-bound life has somehow become our balance. According to Nielsen's Total Audience Report, we spend 11+ hours a day watching TV, listening to the radio, or using smartphones and other electronic devices. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for activities unrelated to technology.

(No joke), A Rabbi once told me: “Life is like sex, and you won’t get anywhere without the friction caused by ‘in’ and ‘out’.” You can’t spend all week ‘in’ something and expect to grow. You are most effective when you take a step back, before heading back into whatever you’re working on.”

This is where #TechSabbath comes into play - a complete 25 hour disconnect from technology. #TechSabbath follows the Jewish tradition of the Sabbath, which is one of the 10 commandments marked as a holy day of rest. Beginning sun-down Friday night, and until we see 3 stars in the sky on Saturday night, you do your best to not interact with technology or anything work-related that took your time during the week. #TechSabbath is the yin to your yang. It creates a sense of balance and friction required to help you better accomplish your goals.

There is a growing number of individuals in and out of the tech community keeping #TechSabbath:

“ I'm offline Friday night to Saturday night for Shabbat. Working hard is as much about boundaries as it is about hours. You'll never be fully on if you don't set aside some time to turn off.” - Dan Shapiro, CEO, Glowforge

"I’ve done it in the past, but recently fell off the bandwagon. It was great when I did it - my brain gets constant stimulation from tech and it needs a break now and then. No technology is a lot easier than less. Trying to use less technology breaks down willpower over the course of the day. As an aside, I have also removed email, Facebook and Twitter from my phone. It gives me more time for my brain to catch up during the day." - Galen Ward, CEO, Estately

“Taking a weekly #TechSabbath allows us to step off this wheel of endless sameness. It’s a ritual that pushes us out of the norm, to pursue different activities, and use different parts of our brains. In so doing, it refreshes and rejuvenates our minds and spirit. It provides the motivation to unhook our wired craniums from the matrix of cyberspace and explore the pleasures of the real world." - Brett & Kate McKay, The Art of Manliness

I have personally been doing this for 30 years, and the main benefit for me has been spending quality time with my wife of 6 years, and the ability to run 100MPH all week long with the knowledge that a total break is always just a few days away. Regularly, people ask me, “Red, where does all the energy and enthusiasm come from?” The source is not coffee, nor is it drugs...but a weekly disconnect that I highly recommend to others.

You don’t have to be Jewish or even religious to appreciate this concept, and I can guarantee that this will NOT impact your success. My grandfather used to tell my Dad: “Don’t work on Saturday. The folks I knew who did are still doing the same thing today - you don't get rich working on Sabbath.”

Need inspiration? Check out The Sabbath Manifesto, a creative project designed to slow down lives in an increasingly hectic world. There are 10 core principles completely open for your unique interpretation.

Do you keep some form of a #TechSabbath? What are your methods for breaking away? Please comment and share your ideas. I’m looking for inspiration and openly invite your feedback below. Happy relaxing!