Connection with other people is on my mind. Probably because we’ve been told to maintain physical distance between ourselves.
In a strange twist of fate, humankind has entered self-imposed isolation when technology connects us to each other like no other time in human history.
Our kitchen benches, dining tables, and spare rooms are now extensions of our workplaces. We’re connected to our jobs 24/7. That means it’s even tougher to take a break than before. This is a challenge for someone like me who loves to work.
But even a workaholic needs a break! I feel that if we make time to unplug from our always connected world, we will appreciate our ability to connect with each other more than we did before our time off.
I did just that last year. I unplugged from work and took a long overdue vacation to Africa when the current virus outbreak and travel restrictions were not part of our lives. What impressed me was the act of unplugging led to a greater sense of connection.
Unplugging connects you to what is in front of you
If you unplug, you see what is in front of you. When you take away your email, messaging apps and social media, you become aware of what is going on around you as it happens. It became clear to me that my level of awareness before my break may have been dulled because my attention was often on a screen.
Africa gave me the opportunity to redirect my attention to something other than work. There was more than enough to keep my mind busy. I studied geology many years ago and found myself walking around trying to understand every piece of earth I hiked across.
I had face to face encounters with animals I had only seen in nature documentaries or books. Yes, I am of the generation that still remembers the thrill of flicking through an encyclopedia and discovering something new.
These were animals native to Africa and living wild in their natural habitat. Not bred for captivity, caged or exploited for crass entertainment. A far cry from Netflix’s ‘Tiger King’!
Before I left for my trip, I feared I would miss out on something if I unplugged. That was a misplaced fear. I discovered that curiosity actually grows and can be fed when you unplug.
Unplugging connects you to who is in front of you
The tour I was part of in Africa only had 20 people on it. To put that in context, in our office, there are usually several hundred people just on our floor alone. It was unusual for me to spend 24 hours a day with only 20 people. I rarely even spend 24 hours a day with my husband!
After a few days of enjoying the wilderness together, we all started to talk with each other. I mean really talk. My interaction with one of my fellow travelers was surprising. I had never met Mark before, but once we struck up a conversation, I soon discovered Mark lived in Jersey where I have family, but the connection went much deeper. Mark also worked for my cousin and has been my cousin’s best friend for 20 years.
All these years I thought that technology was making the world a smaller place by bringing people together but talking with Mark made the world feel smaller than any platform or device had ever done. Our six degrees of separation were only two!
Unplug and truly connect
My decision to temporarily unplug in Africa revealed a connection to someone I did not know I had — Mark. It felt special because it was unexpected. To me, the act of unplugging made me appreciate human connection even more.
When we are always on call with our devices, we tend to take our ability to connect with each other for granted. We should never take that for granted. Especially now.
If you unplug for a short while like I did, I’m sure you will look at human connection differently. You don’t need to go to Africa to unplug. You can simply schedule regular time away from your screen.
When you come back, you will be grateful that we can truly connect even though we are apart.
About the Author
Renee Ure is Lenovo’s Vice President of Global Supply Chain. She leads a Global Team responsible for effective Planning, Procurement, Fulfillment, Operations, Manufacturing, Logistics, and Engineering for the Data Center Group (DCG). Start a conversation with Renee here, on LinkedIn or on Twitter.
