On Balance
Technology: Efficient or Ineffectual
Lynn B. Hennighausen

I'd give myself a B- for keeping up with technology. I use e-mail many times each day, I check for phone messages if I'm out of my office, I navigate the web effectively. There's no doubt that the past 10 or 15 years of emerging technologies makes my work easier; it makes my job possible, in fact. A friend of mine, Marc, recently took a 10-day vacation in Colorado with his family. Feelings of job insecurity, overwork, and travel were nearly putting him over the proverbial edge. In the mountains, Marc received a great gift: no phone signal and no Internet access. His wife, outwardly consoling Marc as he was clearly distressed, cheered quietly to herself.

I ran into Marc a few days ago. He was more relaxed than I'd ever seen. He spoke more slowly, he smiled more easily, he was clearly energized. And, not being able to get a signal or an Internet connection he had the best excuse (for not being in touch) since, "my dog ate my homework."

Clearly, technology holds a double-edged sword. One edge allows us to work remotely, check in frequently, and get work done more efficiently. The other edge won‚t give us a break. It beckons us to check e-mail just one more time before going to bed. It warns us that trouble may be lurking if we don't respond to an issue "quickly enough." This edge makes it easier to shoot off a quick e-mail asking for something not significant enough to warrant a phone call. Expectations for customer follow-through and turn-around whether your customer is the athletic director, prospect, student athlete, dean, or another coach, has increased exponentially. What‚s happened to taking a few days to consider a request, prepare a response or propose a solution? Like the rest of our culture, the expectation is instant gratification. What's more, if you do unplug, the penalty is time intensive in e-mail alone! How many messages do receive each day?

Though today‚s technology may be the workaholic's dream come true, the importance of unplugging (both figuratively and literally) was never more crucial. With jobs like the ones you hold, where burnout is clearly an issue, the importance of stepping away˜really away˜cannot be understated.

Here are a few tips:
Take a lunch break
Whether you eat on the break or when you get back to your office doesn't matter; what matters is that you get away for a few minutes to clear your head. Go for a walk, sit by the woods, a lake, or an inspirational statue and be.

Use your time well
Create routines by which to work. Respond to e-mails and phone calls during specific chunks of time each day. Establish office hours for yourself and hold yourself to them as much as possible.

Get a hobby or train for an event
Having a piece of your life that's "just yours" is incredibly fulfilling. Train for a mini-triathlon, journal, knit a sweater the "what" doesn't matter as long as it's personally satisfying.

Take time for your relationship with your partner, significant other, or close friends.
A solid foundation with regard to personal relationships makes every other aspect of life run more smoothly. Unplugging will make your love one(s) feel like you‚re truly focused on them.

Lynn Burke Hennighausen, MS contributes her monthly, "On Balance" column to NACWAA. She is the author of Shades of Gray: A Mother's Guide to Work and Family Choices and president of A Balancing Act, inc. Lynn welcomes your comments. Visit her website: www.WorkandFamilyChoices.com.