How This Whole Thing Started
So yeah, it kinda hit me after scrolling TikTok for like three hours straight one Tuesday night. Felt kinda numb, you know? Like my brain was just mush. That’s when I thought, “What if I just… stopped?” Not forever, just try disconnecting completely for a while. See what happens to my head, my mood, everything.
Wednesday morning, I just did it. Cold turkey. Grabbed my personal phone, my work phone, my laptop – bam! Locked them all in the toolbox in my basement garage. Left my smartwatch charging upstairs. Told my partner, “If the house is on fire or someone’s bleeding, knock on my head. Otherwise… see ya Sunday.”
The First 24 Hours: Pure Panic Mode
Honestly? It was rough. Felt weirdly naked without my phone. Kept patting my pockets looking for it. The silence was LOUD. Like, way too quiet. Found myself pacing. Got irrationally irritated at tiny things.
- Phantom vibrations: My wrist kept twitching, convinced I felt notifications.
- Boredom attacks: Finished chores by 10 AM. Stared at the wall. Realized how boring I actually am without constant input.
- Urgent Itch Syndrome: Had like 15 “brilliant” ideas or things I needed to look up RIGHT NOW. Couldn’t.
Big realization: My brain screamed for distraction. It didn’t know how to just… be.
Day Two: The Fog Starts Lifting (A Little)
Woke up feeling less jittery. Still weird. Made a proper breakfast instead of inhaling cereal while checking emails. Actually tasted it! Read a physical book – an actual novel gathering dust on my shelf. It took me an hour just to slow down my eyes enough to follow the words properly.
Went for a walk. Like, a real one. No podcasts in my ears. No step-counting goal. Just… walked. Watched people in the park. Actually looked at the trees changing color. Felt the chilly air instead of just cursing it.
Noticed something: My shoulders were lower. The constant knot between my eyebrows felt looser. Maybe?
Days Three & Four: Okay, This Is Weirdly… Nice?
The constant buzz in my head? Faded. It was replaced by quieter thoughts. More mundane, but deeper ones too. I finally fixed that leaky kitchen tap I kept putting off. Did it badly, but hey, I tried! Sat on the porch with just a cup of tea for a whole hour. Just sipping. Thinking. Zoning out sometimes.
Biggest change? Focus. Started reading a longer article in a physical magazine. Finished it. Remembered what it said later. That felt like magic. Also slept. Like, proper knocked-out sleep.
Bringing It Back (Slowly)
Sunday afternoon, I unlocked the toolbox. Didn’t feel the desperate rush I expected. Felt kinda… wary. Turned the phones on. A flood of notifications popped up. Dozens of messages, emails, app updates. I scanned them.
Cold hard truth hit: Almost none of it was urgent. None of it needed my immediate attention Friday afternoon. Most could have waited days, or forever, honestly. The sheer volume felt suffocating.
I did the radical thing. Didn’t clear them all. Just replied to the three that mattered. Deleted the rest. Uninstalled two social apps right then and there. Just nuked them.
What Actually Changed After? (The Real Stuff)
- Phone stays outside the bedroom now. Charging overnight? Kitchen counter. That morning scroll? Dead.
- “Do Not Disturb” is my new religion. Scheduled blocks where only contacts can break through. The rest waits.
- One screen-free evening per week. Honestly? Feels weirdly rebellious. I read, tinker, or just stare.
- I feel the itch less. That constant need to “check”? It’s quieter. I can feel bored now without panicking.
Most important? I learned I can disconnect. My life didn’t implode. My world didn’t cave in. The noise of the online world was drowning out my own thoughts. Turning the volume down, even just a little? It lets me hear myself again. And honestly? That’s worth protecting.
