Quick Summary: To take an "Amish Hour" just don't use technology 1 hour before bed. Easy!
The basic idea was everyone shows up with a book.....then at 9pm everyone reads for 1 hour. No laptops allowed, no iPads allowed, and phones turned off. The weird thing is, A LOT of people had trouble focusing on a book for just one hour!
But I've noticed my OWN concentration go down noticeably.....and the one of the main culprits is my phone or computer. Just one tap and I'm playing chess, or browsing Facebook, or perusing photos.
This is why by creating a distraction-free environment I've been able to get sooooo much more reading, learning, and note-taking done:
Once again, whenever I do an Amish Hour before bed, I personally get these benefits:
- Better sleep-
- More productivity -
- Increased concentration -
....that's what you get when you take an "Amish Hour"!
"Amish Hour" is when: One hour before bed you shun technology.
Benefits you get from doing a daily Amish Hour:- Better sleep.
- Wrapping up the day.
- Improvement in concentration.
- Developing a fantastic collection of notes. <~~ (my fav)
- Learning new stuff through concentrated reading.
- It forces me to take some time to wind down the day and plan the next day.
Why does an "Amish Hour" matter for copywriters and marketers?
Having a well-rested, playful, and focused brain helps massively when it comes to creativity. Most of the best performing pieces of copy I've put out start their life as a thought in my brain that says...."Wouldn't it be cool if I........?" Those kinds of moments don't come from a scatterbrain.My "Amish Hour" wind-down sequence at night:
- I make sure to complete the next days to-do list.
- I tell Siri to set my alarm for whatever time in the morning.
- Put my phone on the charger, but like 4 feet away from my bed....unreachable distance.
- I grab one of those $0.97 "composition notebooks" from Wal-Mart for taking notes.
- I grab the book I'm reading or (magazine or newspaper or whatever) and start learning!
- I make sure not to use any type of backlit screen, or distraction-prone device like a TV, Computer, or Phone.
Where did "The Amish Hour" idea come from?
Since smart phones started becoming hella prevalent across the landscape, I've seen a noticeable lack of concentration from myself and others. In fact, for my 31st and 32nd birthday parties I held Reading Parties:
The basic idea was everyone shows up with a book.....then at 9pm everyone reads for 1 hour. No laptops allowed, no iPads allowed, and phones turned off. The weird thing is, A LOT of people had trouble focusing on a book for just one hour!
But I've noticed my OWN concentration go down noticeably.....and the one of the main culprits is my phone or computer. Just one tap and I'm playing chess, or browsing Facebook, or perusing photos.
This is why by creating a distraction-free environment I've been able to get sooooo much more reading, learning, and note-taking done:
Stipulations:
Ok, now I'm well aware damn-near EVERYTHING we have is fueled by technology: The lights in my room, the printing press that printed the book, the air conditioner.......but the point here isn't to 100% shun technology, rather it's to make our environment distraction-free as possible for one hour before bed. So tonight, it would be cool if you took your own "Amish Hour"!
Once again, whenever I do an Amish Hour before bed, I personally get these benefits:
- Better sleep.
- Improvement in concentration.
- Developing a fantastic collection of notes. <~~ (my fav)
- Learning new stuff through concentrated reading.
- It forces me to take some time to wind down the day and plan the next day.