Virtual Contexts

Yesterday I took both my cats to the vet. They’re both fine, and I was very happy about it. It is a cozy feeling to take care of a pet and make sure they’re alright, like a paternal instinct.

After dinner, I was surfing the internet and noticed my cats next to me. I stopped what I was doing and gave them some attention, and it felt way better than what I was doing. Looking at screens is stimulating, sometimes too much. Giving my cats or girlfriend my full attention is relaxing. Looking at screens gives me a constant low level anxiety, like there’s always something new around the corner if I keep looking. It feels like constantly looking for confort but never having enough. Giving my cats or girlfriend my full attenttion calms my nervoud system and feels like I already got to where I belong.

It is strange and sad how often I ignore the living beings next to me because I’m looking at screens. The power (and danger) that tech has over us is it’s capacity to transport us into a different context from the physical world’s. Our brains are not wired for this. Especially if the virtual contexts are constantly swithching, as it happens with videos and social media feeds. This is why Digital Minimalism means a lot to me. It means living the real life while using tech intentionally to enhance it, not to replace it.

To me, living with my girlfriend and with pets that depend on me to survive were what saved me from constantly living in a different context from my physical space. You don’t need to live with your partner or have pets to live well, but I think we need a hook to reality.

This especially applies to me since I work in software at home, which means my brain is in the everchanging, stimulating and weird virtual contexts of my computer. When I lived alone, I often just stayed at home in the computer after work, which would just transport me into a different virtual context, and I think I was never as detached from reality as in that time.

So I’m glad I get to be reminded of the physical context now and then by my little family. I think everybody needs to live in this space for a bit everyday to keep some sanity. It could be leaving the house to go to the gym or a daily ritual to see someone. But perhaps most people don’t feel this way if they work different jobs.

Physical Contexts

I’m trying to remind myself to be in my physical context more and more.

I try to limit my screen time 2 hours after bed so my nervous system can relax from the virtual stimulation and I avoid surfing the web before I get things done in the morning.