Addiction or assistance?

Do you ever leave home without your BlackBerry / mobile? Are they ever switched off? Do you make time for friends you don't work with?

I was planning for this to be very "coachy" but realised today that I need to pay attention to my own advice.

I'd been feeling smug (I rarely turn my little pay-as-you-go mobile on unless I'm meeting someone or checking my landline for messages) but then I realised how much I depend on my BlackBerry.

I'll be going to Kenya for a couple of weeks in March and am already stressing about potential reception problems. The idea of being uncontactable by clients and potential clients for two whole weeks makes me consider not going. I'd only check it once or twice a day!

While I'm nowhere near as bad as the woman who took her BlackBerry in with her to the delivery room while she was in labour, the idea of life (well, work) without it is uncomfortable.

Can you think of anything that's made the transition from assistance to addiction in your life or work?

If you're concerned (or if people close to you think you should be), experiment with weaning yourself off. If you normally check for messages several times each evening and throughout the weekend, set times to do so to keep yourself, rather than the labour saving device, in control.

Spend some time, each day, when you're only answerable to yourself. How does that feel? Liberatingly untethered or anxious?

I'd love to hear about it.

© Eve Menezes Cunningham / www.applecoaching.com 2008.