Today, I had the privilege of attending the Wisdom 2.0 conference (an off-shoot of the Google UnConference series). There were about 2,000 attendees from around the globe. The founder spoke of his vision to have technology-makers mingle with wisdom teachers because he recognized that our tech advances have given us devices that inundate us with knowledge and data but not necessarily wisdom. He wondered how we can ensure our uber-connected world also includes the contact required to remain human. The conference topic: How can we live with Wisdom, Awareness and Compassion in the Digital Age?
Many of the progressive Silicon Valley heavy-hitters were present and presenting. Arturo Bejar, Director of Engineering at Facebook shared a personal story of how attending a previous Wisdom gathering had helped create the conditions to meet individuals that furthered a sort of compassion quotient for Facebook users when flagging inappropriate materials. The changes they made based on insights gleaned from wise conversations made their effectiveness jump by 40 percentage points. The heads of Learning for Google, Twitter and LinkedIn led a Q&A panel discussion on how they help to create the space for mindful learning in their tech organizations.
Scientist, Dr. Larry Rosen has been studying how technology affects the brain. It is no surprise that multi-tasking and constant device-checking is impairing our brain function. He offered some simple, practical tips to help create balance. During periods of heavy concentration (such as studying or strategic planning), he suggests we should allow ourselves one-minute technology breaks every 15 minutes. In other words, check your device for 60 seconds and then place it face down and to the side of your work for the next 15 minutes. Gradually extend to 30 minutes. This avoids triggering the anxiety responses in the brain and allows our focus to rule.
Dr. Rosen also suggests 'resetting' the brain throughout the day. While it used to be common for employees to take a smoke break, he encourages them now to take a brain break. Every 90 - 120 minutes, simply take 5-10 minutes rest to essentially reset the brain's chemistry. This can be done through meditation, focused breathing, light exercising, laughing, practicing a new language, playing an instrument or many other activities. Finally, simply being aware of what technology distractions are most disruptive to you personally and consciously choosing when to engage with them can make an enormous difference. Bottom line: the more technology and interactions we have, the more we need to take brain breaks and tune into our own consciousness.
Mindfulness guru, Jon Kabat-Zinn led a guided meditation. It would be impossible to capture the beauty of that moment so instead what follows are a few of his most lovely quotes from a quick web search.
"The motivation for doing meditation is to not miss your life."
"You can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf."
“Maybe the fear is that we are less than we think we are, when the actuality of it is that we are much much more.”
“From the perspective of meditation, every state is a special state, every moment a special moment.”
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