dear reader,
i know it’s been a while, so first off, i hope you’re doing well. if you’re not, i hope it gets better soon. but remember, it’s okay not to be okay.
and secondly, article time! from july 10 to july 17, i went off the grid. i turned off my phone and didn’t turn it on until the next sunday. why? well, good question, and i’ll answer that soon, but more importantly… what did i learn?
1. why?
i had an important presentation on sunday. the weeks leading up to it, i would still spend time preparing but would then go out and do other things after. however, at 12:00 am on july 10, i took away my own phone privileges by turning it off and asking my dad to take it.
i realized that if i wanted to ace this project, i needed to be focused and stay disconnected from the world outside of my house. by doing this, i only had access to my laptop, which i would use to prepare, and the tv, which i would use for downtime.
2. what did i learn?
even better question. i learned what it means to not have my phone. (well, no duh, apuroopa, but what does that mean?) it brought back my childhood life when i didn’t have a block of technology sitting in my pocket that i would go to whenever i wanted to scroll, talk, or relax.
if i’m being honest, i felt like being off my phone made me more aware of what i was doing. i was really just enjoying the moment with the people i love most - my family. i was more focused because i didn’t feel obligated to respond to people.
moreover, i just felt happier. although i didn’t have the ability to connect with my friends and the outside world in just a snap of a finger, i was able to do more things for me such as bettering myself through the project and spending more time on my health.
whether we want to admit or not, we are all extremely dependent on our phones. i mean, seriously, when i’m in school, my phone is never in my backpack because it’s always in my pocket. the reason for this? well, i feel safer when i have it on me because i know that my parents or the emergency services are only one call away.
for the first time during this week, i had to drive somewhere without my phone. this meant no music (the radio was playing ads) and no instant communication with my parents in case something goes wrong. it also means no apple pay, checking the grocery list, or scrolling instagram while waiting for the line to move.
in all, this past week i was able to appreciate my life for what it is, beyond what i have with my phone. it made me more aware and presented me the chance to enjoy life in the moment.
there’s so many people in the world that do not have phones, yet they still somehow manage to live life to the fullest. i commend those people. it’s hard to stop depending on something that has everything you need to survive, but if i could do it, what’s stopping you?
so today, i’m challenging you: disconnect and recharge. it seems hard, yes, but everything is hard until you try it out, right?
cheers!
apuroopa