Times gone by

If you walk through the front door, chat with Alexa, then connect your podcast to the surround sound, your place sounds great and we’d like to move in. But psychotherapist Nancy Colier argues in her book, The Power Of Off, that the way we use technology is the antithesis of mindful. ‘Your brain will feel crowded with thoughts, but you’re actually thinking less,’ she says.

The solution? Not-so-smart homes, or stupid spaces – that is, areas curated with the intention of being tech-free. Have your phone on charge in the hallway like it’s a traditional house phone; sit your laptop on a table as if it were a desktop. ‘Put technology in places that will force you to make a conscious decision to use it and using it becomes a choice, rather than a habit,’ explains Colier.