Technology is a good thing, but sometimes it can stress you out. For example, your phone is vibrating. Should you look at it, stay in the conversation and ignore it? Do you feel a compulsion to check?

Ping! Buzz, Vibrate. I have to look, right? It’s addictive and I’m letting the primitive part of my brain grab that novelty–the never ending tweets, the stacks of email, the blue-green text boxes that pop up all day.

What I may not realize it that the constant stimuli is making me stressed and interrupts my work flow and creativity. I know I am losing information every time I stop what I am doing and look.

Maybe it is time to rethink the way I interact with technology, put down the phone, look around  and attend to the moment. Staying present could change my life for the better! Research tells me it will improve my sense of well-being.

Don’t get me wrong. I like my iPhone, a lot! But when it comes to my well-being, I might need to unplug and be aware of the person next to me–maybe smile or nod! It’s called being mindful of the moment. I might need to give my brain a chance to concentrate on one thing without constant interruption. Research says my creativity will increase.

So here is my challenge. I am going to work on one thing and no matter how many email alerts I receive, iMessages that pop on my screen and text pings I hear, I am ignoring them and staying present and on-task. The promise is that  I will accomplish more and my stress level will go down.

You might want to try the same for a day or two and see how you feel. Don’t allow technology to stress you out! Take charge, be more intentional and see if you notice a change.