Cisco’s CTO believes in digital detoxes, but do you?
Posted by: Dominic Lill
15 July,2015 Posted in People
When was the last time you went an entire day without using your phone, tablet or computer? If you can’t remember, it may be time for a digital detox.
We’ve all seen films like the Terminator, where there is an uprising of technology and robots try to take over the world. But what most of us don’t realise, is that technology conquered the real-life modern world a long time ago.
Think about it: when was the last time you went an entire day without your smartphone, computer, laptop, tablet or any other digital device? We bet you can’t remember! Can you?
If you’re answering ‘no’, then it may be time for what the experts are calling ‘a digital detox’.
What is a Digital Detox and Why Do You Need One?
Well, who knows more about this kind of thing than the professionals who work with technology every day? Cisco’s chief technology officer, Padmasree Warrior, has discussed the topic of digital detoxes in great detail at the Third Metric Conference in New York.
Warrior is responsible for more than 20,000 employees who develop Cisco’s new technology. As a result, two thirds of the company’s annual revenue is down to her (about £10billion).
But even she believes it is important to, on occasion, set down her phone and stay off the internet for one entire day. At the conference she explained, that two years ago she had the realisation that things were getting on top of her. A hectic, non-stop work schedule prompted her to make a huge change for her health and sanity. She no longer works 7 days a week, Saturdays are now her ‘digital detox day’.
Warrior said: “Two years ago I found I was working all the time — entire Saturdays and Sundays — to the point where I wasn’t being creative and I felt like I was not making the right decisions,” she explained. “I was trying to keep up with the pace, and I was so focused on the quantity of what I was doing rather than really making quality decisions.”
“I’ve taken Saturdays to be the day I pull back completely,” said Warrior. “I do things that are more creative and I’ve actually found that helps me when I get back into work to be more thoughtful, and I truly believe that feeding your creative soul is really important to being more analytical.”
Other top tips from Warrior include taking 20 minutes for yourself to meditate or simply have some time to think. Plus, she ensures that her staff take their allotted holiday allowances. It’s important to have some time to relax!
But it’s not just Cisso’s senior staff that believe in this withdrawal technique; many other famous faces are singing the digital detox’s benefits, including John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, Vice President of Google[x], Megan Smith and IT and business training provider Global Knowledge.
So, will you be switching off for a day a week? Before you do, check out a few of the other articles on this site!
Global Knowledge is a worldwide provider of Cisco training, as well as other IT and business training for both public and private organisations. With flexible and tailored learning programs, no one knows the further education or e-learning environment quite like Global Knowledge. Find out more about their course and certifications, here.
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