Wellness reflection by Bill Harmon
SED President and Bishop
We are called to work and to work hard. Our hours are not routine. The needs of the people we are called to serve do not always follow a “9-5” pattern. There are early days, late-night calls, weekend gatherings, phone calls, texts, a generous supply of emails, and so much more. We knew the hours and the routine when we got into this field of work; however, that doesn’t mean we need to be working twenty-four hours a day.
I had fallen into the unfortunate habit of checking my email one my phone all the time. Standing in line, watching a show, during conversation, in the middle of family events, waiting for a plane, when I woke up, when I went to sleep, any time there was a break, I found myself checking email.
A quick peek at the phone turned into a takeover of every moment. The event I should have focused on now shifted to the contents of the email. It quickly became an unwelcome intruder into any possibility of rest for my mind, my soul, and even my body. What was waiting for me in the inbox was the question that consumed every spare moment.
I finally realized that the intruder that I had fully welcomed into my routine had to go. I took email off my phone. Email is valuable, and reading and responding to emails is necessary, but not every waking moment of life. It is okay to have boundaries around email (and social media, for that matter).
I took email off my phone and determined that I would only view email on my computer when I was in the office (in person or remote). It has been a breath of fresh air in my life.
Standing in line, watching a show, having a conversation, family events, waiting for a plane, when I wake up, when I go to sleep, any time there is a break, these moments are free of those email moments. Now the door of thinking, resting, watching, engaging, and praying is a little wider.
Don’t be afraid to take it off. Take it off your phone and give your email a defined space. Take it off and give it the time and attention it deserves in the context where it should remain.
Take it off and breathe. Take it off and discover what’s around you. Take it off and stay engaged in conversation. Take it off and sleep. Take it off and enjoy the break. Take it off, it’s okay to have a moment of rest.