Pause.

As a digital startup team, we realize the importance of taking time away from the screen. Whether its to reduce unnecessary stress, the inability to focus or to just giving our brain a rest, we try to to remind each other to take a break.
Here are some tools and ways members of our team use to disconnect from the screen and return to being human.
Calm app
Our CTO, Jeremy got me hooked on this meditation app. Its a lovely app with 100+ guided meditations covering anxiety, focus, stress, sleep, relationships and more. The timed meditations have positive affirmations for gratitude, calming anxiety, self love, mindfulness at work and more. Calm even has bedtime stories to help you fall asleep (I tried the Stephen Fry bedtime story about the lavender fields in France the other night). By giving it just 7–15 minutes in the morning, can make a world of difference for the day.
Check it out here: https://www.calm.com/
Low/No Phone & Internet Sundays
This one takes some preparation and can be flexible as far as rules. We typically make a simple plan for each Sunday to purposefully reduce our time with our phones. Whether we plan on going out for brunch, catching up on some TV shows, or exercising, we do it without our phones. With this one its important to let our friends and family know that on these Sundays we won’t be available until a set time in the evening. While we may still use the internet essentials, like booking a cab, we try to keep these Sundays low on communication and absorption of new information. So that means muting and not checking whatsapp, messages, or email (we use the honor code), and no news! First it is a little unnerving as our brains have gotten trained for constant stimulation, but after riding through that wave your brain starts to really enjoy the freedom it feels. Try it!
Benefits of getting away
I write this as we are away from the big city and are in the foothills of the Himalayas. We all know how important it is to take a vacation, but it is crucial to make it a priority. The human body needs to rejuvenate. We are usually based in the chaotic city of Delhi with troubling stats on water and air quality. For us, nature is most important, so we look at where we can go to disconnect completely for 3–4 days or a peaceful place to continue working quietly (with strong internet) for for 1–2 weeks. The availability of cheap and high speed internet through Indian companies like Reliance Jio has opened up more places for us to unwind while continuing to work. Sometimes its easy to forget how great it is to go for a walk in a forest, be by a river, and give the body a break.
To keep in this thread, we are thinking of organizing disconnecting trips for 8–10 individuals in some of our favorite places in North India. With incredible landscapes and basic but comfortable amenities, we will curate an experience for you where you can disconnect in a relaxing way. Let us know if you are interested!
We all need to Pause once in a while.
Pro Tip: Turn off email notifications. Its liberating.

