Shining Offline: Laura Willis | OYNB 042

One of the big problems with alcohol is that it seems so normal, acceptable, and even expected for you to drink in certain situations that it can become a routine part of your everyday life without you really realizing the importance that it’s come to have for you. When this happens, it can be easy to lose control over your relationship with alcohol, and end up with the alcohol controlling you.  Alcohol is not the only thing that can wind up assuming this place of power in your life gradually over time. If you’re alcohol-free but still feel like your time is not your own, it may be time to consider another relationship in your life – your relationship with your smartphone, your email inbox, or your computer. In today’s episode, I talk to Laura Willis, Founder of Shine Offline, about how technology can end up running your life if you let it, and how being more mindful of the way you use technology can help you take back control of your life.  “By making some small behavioral changes you can make sure that you’re in control, rather than feeling like this technology’s controlling you.”  Laura talks about how she became interested in the subject of how technology can begin to have too much of a hold over your life. She talks about her own experiences with habitually checking the phone and watching others use apps mindlessly, without really thinking about it. She points out that while we know a lot about the negative effects of alcohol and the dangers of alcohol addiction, less is known about the possible dangers of overusing technology and the negative effects of smartphone or internet addiction. There’s more to learn about the possible long-term effects of the way we are currently using technology.  Laura explains that Shine Offline isn’t about giving up your smartphone or other technology, just about being more mindful with it. Much like One Year No Beer is about changing your relationship with alcohol, not necessarily giving it up entirely, Shine Offline is about changing your relationship with technology. She also notes that while connectivity is necessary in business and can be useful in education, business leaders and teachers should give some thought to the way that they expect their employees or students to use technology, and ensure that those practices are more helpful than harmful. Laura believes that technology overuse can contribute to burnout at work, and that guiding teenagers toward using devices for schoolwork can lead to them in the direction of spending too much time on less productive and more addictive digital pursuits. Listen to the episodes to hear more of what Laura has to say about smartphones, technology, and mindfulness.  LINKS & RESOURCES:  OYNB Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/   OYNB Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Oneyearnobeer/   OYNB Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199505820380513/   OYNB Twitter: https://twitter.com/oynbuk/   OYNB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/   OYNB’s Upcoming LIVE Event: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/oynb-ultimate-power-up-connect-collaborate-and-inspire-tickets-43896742338   LAURA WILLIS’S LINKS:   Laura Willis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurawillisshine/   Shine Offline: https://shineoffline.com/