Just a few weeks ago I wrote a blog about putting your phone down and being present. Here I am, thinking that I’m not that attached to my phone or social media. That was until my phone broke and I went 3 days without a cell phone. It was such a traumatic experience for me that I had to document my thoughts over the course of 3 phone-less days.
Day One, Morning- Phone decides to fail me
Initially I was pissed off at my phone for deciding it no longer wanted to be my friend. I was in the anger phase. I ran up to the AT&T store and found out that it would take 3 days to receive my replacement phone. Alright, that’s not too bad… I still have a computer and the internet, I’ll survive.
Day One, Afternoon- I’ll be alright…
“I wish I could check Instagram right now,” I think to myself as I’m walking around the grocery store. “What if someone is trying to call me? Did I tell everyone that I don’t have a phone? What if they don’t read their email or check their Facebook messages?” The distraction of not having my phone let me to forgetting several key grocery items.
Day One, Night- Frustration
Crap. I forgot to charge my iPad. Guess I’ll just watch Netflix. But what are other people doing?
Day Two, Morning- Why are you ignoring me?
A friend sends me a Facebook message, “hey is everything okay? You haven’t responded to any of my texts.” Awesome, now she thinks I’m mad at her, and I had to smooth things over. Technology, why do you hate me?
Day Two, Evening- Withdrawal
I’m starting to have withdrawal symptoms. I’m sitting outside Qdoba, waiting for a friend, and I have nothing to do while I wait. If I had a phone, I could get on Facebook, or Twitter or Instagram, or even send a Snapchat of myself with a dog face. That would keep me entertained for at least a few minutes. Instead, all I can do is people watch. And that got boring, real fast. I wonder what other people are doing… What I did notice was how often people would look at THEIR phones while eating and talking with their family and friends. That’s annoying. I hope I don’t do that…
Day Two, Later in the Evening- Enjoyment?!
I enjoyed dinner with some friends, and was totally present in the conversation. We had a great time and awesome conversation. No phones to distract us (or me). Okay, I can do this. No phone? No problem.
Day Three, Morning and Afternoon- Maximum Productivity
I got SO much work done today, it was unbelievable! I can’t remember the last time I was that focused. Maybe that means no phone=no distractions… Hmmm… Maybe I’m on to something…
Day Three, Evening- Reunited with my Phone
Arrived home from work and there it was, my shiny new replacement phone! After another round of anger and frustration as I attempt to install and boot up the phone, I finally got it set up and working. Then, the dreaded flood of voicemails and texts came through. I was a little anxious when I first saw this, but realized I didn’t actually miss any of these calls or messages, because they all managed to contact me via another means.
Closing Thoughts:
Phones are a distraction, both good and bad. After going through several stages of emotions, I was left feeling refreshed and honestly pretty happy that I had this experience. I went through a technology cleanse without even realizing it, and now I’m going to try and do this once a month. Perhaps a long weekend, cell phone and social media free. No Snapchat, Instagram or Facebook, just living my life and being a part of what’s going on around me. If you’re getting frustrated with social media or feeling like you need a break, I highly recommend this cleanse. You’ll feel healthier in no time!
