Detox In The C-Suite

More C-suite professionals are choosing to detox from the digital world by switching off their devices and reconnecting with nature, people and the physical world.

- Sam Mckeith

In today’s world of global business it can be tempting – and in some cases even expected – to stay connected to devices and technology around the clock.

That’s especially the case for C-suite professionals who, now more than ever, can do deals, make calls, host meetings or check in with staff from any part of the world, day or night.

While 24/7 connectivity has been a game-changer for millions of firms that want to access new markets, get business done faster and, ultimately, make more money, it’s not all positive.

One drawback, for instance, is the rise of burnout among business elites who are now able, in today’s super-connected world, to work wherever and whenever they want. That’s because, for a growing number of highly driven business people, more tech means less social interaction in the real world, and a higher level of work stress.

ON THE RISE

It’s for this reason, according to David Tuffley from Griffith University in Australia, that an increasing number of high-powered business people are turning to so-called ‘digital detoxes’ to find the right mix of work and life in this tech-heavy era.

Tuffley, a senior lecturer in applied ethics and socio-technical studies, says that for people for whom technology is central to their work, such as those involved in international business and finance, getting off the internet is a must-do for mental wellness.

Total disconnection is essential, Tuffley says, due to the tendency of modern technology to creep into all parts of our daily life.

“Digital detox is an important aspect of work–life balance because by the nature of the technology we use, it encourages us to use it more and more until it gets to the point where some of us are overusing it and it becomes a problem,” he tells The CEO Magazine.