Zen and the art of technology integration

Posted on: January 20, 2015 | By: Brent Smith | Filed under: Tech Tips

404 Error screenshotTechnology is a beautiful thing. It seems as though not a day goes by that we are not given the promise of a new tool sure to improve or enhance our mission. Looking for wireless video collaboration across multiple platforms? No problem, we’ve got that! Your guest speaker got snowed in at O’Hare? No sweat, we’ll bring them in on a Google Hangout! From watches that talk to cameras that walk technology is here to help.

But it’s not always that easy. Technology can also vex you. Ironically, as I sat down to begin this blog post, my word processer quit three times in a row as I tried to open a new blank document. One computer restart later I was able to begin – albeit with slightly higher blood pressure. Sometimes it’s even worse.

I’m sure you have similar horror stories – the presentation that worked the night before, shows your class the dreaded “image not found” message instead of that awesome photo you spent 45-minutes searching for on Google.

Microphones fail, computers crash, and learning curves defeat deadlines time after time. What can you do when the frustration mounts, and the urge to scream begins to overwhelm you? I’d like to suggest a tool that is not new or technological at all. I’d like to suggest simple mindfulness meditation.

When you find your tension rising, just take a moment to be aware of whether you are breathing. You are? Good! That means you are alive. Pay attention to a few more breaths. When you start to worry about the widget that’s stressing you, recognize that thought, and then direct your attention back to your breathing. Repeat as necessary. Congratulations. You now know how to meditate!

Let me be clear – meditation is not a panacea, and you will still have that issue to deal with, but it can help you quiet your mind when it starts spinning in unproductive ways.

Is meditation relaxing? Well, sometimes, but as Dr. Siobhan Gibbons of Rutgers University once said during a meditation workshop, “Relaxation is a pleasant side effect.” She went on to point out that the real magic lies in being mindful, learning to recognize your thoughts and moods, and gaining the ability to gently refocus your concentration.

If you would like to know more about mindfulness meditation Belk Library has several great resources, and the Truitt center offers short weekly meditation sessions during the semester. If you would like to fight fire with fire and use technology to fight tech-induced stress, there’s an APP for that. Check out some helpful tips here!

So when that new latest-greatest gizmo gets your dander up, just remember, when the going gets tough, the tough get mindful.

404 Error image via Flickr user Gustavo da Cunha Pimenta / CC BY-SA 2.0

Brent Smith

Brent Smith works as an Assistant Manager of Teaching and Learning Technologies at Elon University. He has a background in commercial broadcasting - with experience in both radio and television. For most of the 21st century he has applied those skills in higher education.

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