If you’re like most people, your life is spent working toward accomplishments. Whether it’s sending one more work email, running errands, or cooking dinner, we are constantly moving from one task to another. Mobile devices and social media make it easier for us to stay connected and accomplish even more while we rush through our busy day. This may seem like a good thing, but being constantly connected and on the go means that we go from human beings to human doers. The best answer may be a mindfulness exercise to get back on track.

You need a moment to slow down and be quiet with yourself. A state of perpetual doing can not only create stress, it may also add wear and tear to your body and diminish your ability to stay focused. Depleted energy may also keep you from engaging meaningfully with others. But many people find it difficult to just be still.  We human beings are conditioned to stay busy, set goals and accomplish more. Much of this is a result of cultural expectations and past conditioning. But rather than going on autopilot, it’s healthy to question why you do what you do. Ask yourself, “is this action what I need, what I want, or what I think is expected of me?”

Today, consider less to be the new more!

The Human Being Mindfulness Exercise: Start small. Choose to take a time-out. Set a time when you will turn off your phone and step away from all of your electronic devices for a short period. During that period, try being still. Do nothing. Practice a meditation exercise. Or, if you’re not ready for stillness quite yet, then take a walk, read something enjoyable, or maybe take a yoga class—where no phones are allowed anyway! At the end, reflect on what it was like to simply be, rather than do.

Before long, you will see that there are times for just being. You can disengage from all of your tasks and take a moment or two to pause and observe your surroundings and yourself just as they are. These are the moments where you begin to cultivate a sense of awareness, which allows you to create a sense of spaciousness and peace in your life.

Set an appointment with yourself right now to turn off the electronics for a short while. Make a conscious effort to transition from a human doer to a human being.