Living without my Phone

Sharing a small win with you guys before we dive into today’s email: This is my 20th newsletter! Can’t believe I’ve been doing this for 20 weeks now, feels like I just started but it’s honestly become such a positive part of my life and I love reading your replies and Insta DMs about how you like these newsletters, so thank you so much for being here. :)

Now, if you’re not following me on Instagram yet, you may not know this, but last week, we were in the middle of a cyclone and a power blackout for over 24 hours! Not something I’ve experienced ever since inverters became a thing, but our inverter gave up and we literally spent 24 hours without any electricity, Internet and technology, and in retrospect, I’m surprised I actually enjoyed being completely disconnected (also going to take a second to mention how grateful I am for the privilege of being safe in my home in the midst of a cyclone).

As someone who literally lives on the Internet (and makes a living off of it), I started off feeling so anxious and incomplete without it; kind of like being phone-less was equivalent to being jobless; but soon came to the realisation (or rather self consolation) that it was just a phone at the end of the day. So I decided to take the day off (not that I had a choice) and it was the best thing ever! 

I have never felt more mindful and present than I did that day. I was fully aware of all my thoughts and feelings, my surroundings, my family being around me (who sometimes end up getting ignored when I get too caught up with work), and even though I try to practice mindfulness every day, this was just something else! 

I spent the day reading (the book I’m currently reading is called The Unfair Advantage), spending time with family (without being on my phone), did some introspection without any distractions and made some future goals for myself, and for a change I did all of these things without feeling guilty about wasting time. 

Of course, when the electricity returned the next day, I was quite relieved, but that one day without technology reset me and my mind, and I’ve decided to consciously incorporate this into my weekly routine going forward. Basically, once a week (I’m thinking Sundays), I’m going to spend at least 3-4 hours without my phone, without any agenda, and just use this time to introspect/be mindful/do nothing, and I can already tell this is going to be life changing for me. I urge you to give this a shot too. :) 

Have you ever spent a day or more without your phone? Curious to hear how your experience was. :)