Alright, so everyone’s yapping about “put down your phone,” live in the moment, blah blah blah. I actually gave it a real shot. Not because some influencer told me to, but because, well, life kinda forced my hand, and then I just… kept going with it, sort of.
How It All Started
It wasn’t like I woke up one day a changed man. Nah. My old phone, bless its circuits, decided to take a permanent vacation. Just died. Black screen. Wouldn’t charge, wouldn’t do a thing. This was, like, a Tuesday. And I had so much stuff I thought I needed it for. Work emails, group chats, you know, the usual noise.
First day was pure panic. I felt like I’d lost a limb. Kept reaching for my pocket. Phantom vibrations, the works. It was pathetic, honestly. I realized I didn’t even know my best mate’s number by heart anymore. Had to use my old laptop to message him for it. How did we even survive before these things?
The Forced Detox
Getting a new phone wasn’t instant. Took a couple of days for the new one to arrive. So, for about 48 hours, I was phoneless. And you know what? The world didn’t end. Shocking, I know.
Here’s what I actually did, or noticed:
- Boredom: Man, was I bored sometimes. Like, waiting-for-the-kettle-to-boil bored. But then, I started actually looking around. Noticed a weird crack in the ceiling I’d never seen. Riveting stuff.
- Talked to People: At lunch, instead of scrolling, I actually chatted with colleagues. About, like, their weekends. Wild.
- Read a Book: Found a dusty paperback I bought ages ago. Actually read a few chapters. The paper kind.
- Slept Better: This was a big one. Not having that blue light glaring at me before bed? Game changer.
But it wasn’t all sunshine and analog roses. I missed a couple of “urgent” group messages (turned out they weren’t that urgent). Felt out of the loop. The FOMO was real, at first. It’s like an itch you can’t scratch.
Then the New Phone Arrived…
So, the shiny new gadget turned up. I was excited, not gonna lie. Set it all up. And then… I hesitated. I’d gotten a tiny taste of something different. That quiet. That ability to just… be. Without the constant pinging and notifications demanding my attention.
I didn’t go full caveman, obviously. I need my phone for actual important stuff. But I changed things.
I started by:
- Turning off most notifications: Only calls and texts from actual people I know make a sound now. Everything else can wait.
- Setting “no phone” times: Like, during meals. Or the first hour I’m awake. It’s hard, still slip up, but I try.
- Deleting apps I just scrolled on endlessly: If it wasn’t useful or genuinely fun, it got the boot.
It’s not like I’m enlightened or anything. I still waste time on it. But it’s less. I’m more aware of it. When I pick it up, I often ask myself, “Why am I picking this up?” Half the time, it’s just habit.
So, What’s the Big Deal?
For me, putting the phone down (more often, anyway) wasn’t about some grand spiritual awakening. It was about clawing back a bit of my own brain space. Realizing that the “urgent” stuff usually isn’t. And that there’s a whole world happening outside that little screen.
I still see people glued to their phones everywhere. Heads down, bumping into things. And I get it, I was one of them. Still am, sometimes. But now, there’s this little voice in my head, a hangover from those phoneless days, that just goes, “Oi, look up, mate.” And sometimes, I actually do.
It’s an ongoing thing, this “putting the phone down” business. Not a one-and-done. More like trying to eat healthier. You mess up, have a digital binge, then you try to get back on track. That’s been my experience, anyway. No magic, just trying.
