What happens if you turn off your computer, or your tablet, or heaven forbid, your cell phone for a few days?
That was the question I wanted to answer for myself a few weeks ago. And so, I did it. Stepped away from my laptop, and turned off my phone. (No tablets in this house, so that was not an issue.)
So what happened?
Well, the first thing I noticed was an initial sigh of relief. Followed almost immediately by a panicked thought of, “what if someone needs to get in touch with me?” I almost turned the phone back on, but instead, took a deep breath, and reminded myself that we are one of the families still hanging on to our landline. If anyone needed me, they could certainly contact me through our home number.
The children, informed that I would not be using my phone for the weekend, seemed perplexed. Why would I do such a thing? Was I trying to save my battery? And, how would they text me? As they normally text me from their bedrooms while I am in the house, I explained they would simply have to communicate the old-fashioned way-by coming to find me in person.
And thus began the experiment.
Like a lot of people, I use my phone to not just contact others, but to organize my life. Calendars, shopping lists, weather apps, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, are all at my fingertips at any given moment. I had not realized though, just how much I use, and rely on, my phone.
Leaving the house to run a few errands, was both exhilarating, and a little scary. For someone who grew up in the 1970’s and ‘80’s, when we did not carry smartphones everywhere we went, it was a strange feeling to walk around knowing that no one could get in touch with me.
I had previously been known to mock people with FOMO (once I learned what the acronym meant). How silly to wonder if you were missing out on something! And then I noticed it happening to me. I wondered what new posts had been added on Instagram and Facebook. Worried that I had missed an important text message or phone call. I considered turning my phone back on, just while I was out, I reasoned. In case the kids (four teenagers more than capable of looking after themselves for a few hours) needed me for something. In the end, I remembered that I had left the phone at home.
Once home, and with nothing to really occupy me (housework done, work caught up, rainy day, so no yard work to putter around with), I realized that in those moments, I normally picked up my phone to fill time. Without it, I felt a little lost, and unsure of what to do with myself.
I am not the only person who has felt that he or she spends far too much time staring at screens. There seems to be a new story every few weeks about how the information overload we subject ourselves to is bad for both our mental and physical health. What I was unprepared for was how long it would take me to stop looking to pick up my phone, and just live – and relax – without its presence.
I admit that it took a few hours longer than I would have liked, but in the end, putting away my phone, and staying away from my computer left me feeling calmer, and more relaxed. It’s a feeling I now look forward to each weekend, and each time I turn off the phone, and shut down my computer to recharge myself.
