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43F Podcast: Goin' on a Media Diet

Merlin Mann | Oct 31 2005

Goin’ on a Media Diet (mp3)

43folders.com - Two simple things you can do this week to reclaim your attention and start enjoying the I/O in your life again.

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The podcast includes two diet tips for the week:

  • The Media Date - set aside a few contiguous hours to consume just one piece or type of media -- by itself. Read a book, watch a movie, or listen to your favorite record. Defy background noise by just focusing on that one thing for a while.
  • The Mindful Phonecall - Take 30 minutes to sit in a chair and talk to someone you love on the phone. No shopping, web surfing, or walking around allowed. Just you and them.

Any good media diet tips of your own to share? How do you limit your I/O?

21 Comments
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TOPICS: Crazy Modern Life, Podcasts, Tasks
Michael Gomez's picture

I few years back I...

Submitted by Michael Gomez (not verified) on November 1, 2005 - 1:48pm.

I few years back I attended a talk by Douglas Rushkoff at which he advocated a weekly 'sabbath' for the secular crew.

For one day every week, (1) don't buy anything, and (2) consume no media.

I have experimented with variations of this ever since, from this most 'total sabbath' to less stringent ones; for example, not buying anything but abstaining from electronic media (books okay, but no newspaper.)

I really think it's good to start light, though, like with the examples Merlinn gives.

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