A couple of weeks ago my phone randomly stopped working. What I thought would be the longest week of my life, waiting for my new phone to come, turned out to be one of the best weeks I've had in a long time!
Here's 5 things not having a phone taught me:
1. TOOK MY TIME
Each day I went on at least one walk. I would go at a time of day where it didn't matter how long I was gone for. There were no time constraints and no distractions. I took time to feel the sunshine, the breeze, and noticed things around me I hadn't before, which enabled me to feel care free!
2. STILLNESS
Without my phone to fill in my moments of nothingness, I had a lot of time to sit and just be. The desire to look at my phone every time I sat down was so strong, I had no idea it was robbing me from just being still. For the first time in an embarrassingly long time, when I had nothing to do but sit, that's what I would do. Being still and just being gave me time to think about different things I had avoided in a while. I took time to contemplate the mom, wife, daughter, business owner, and friend I want to be.
3. PRESENT
Have you ever caught yourself in a moment where you're physically present but not actually present? I am totally guilty of this. I honestly missed my phone calls and texts from family and friends, but without those incoming alerts, I was able to be 100% present with whomever I was around. Without texting or phone calls, all of my conversations were with those who were physically in my presence. My kids always got my undivided attention, not my partial, physical attention. I loved that this helped me build closer relationships with all of my children.
4. MENTAL CLARITY
I knew that my phone was a distraction, but had no idea it interfered with my thoughts. Between social media, podcasts, emails, and more…eliminating even the option of being on my phone allowed me to really focus on me and my family...and no one else. The pressure to post, show up on stories, and seeing what everyone else was doing effected my mental clarity in ways I didn't even realize. My stress levels during this time were drastically reduced and I honestly felt more like myself. I wasn't spreading myself thin unknowingly giving my love and concern to strangers I'd never met on social media! (Did you know this is a thing?)
5. FREEING
Sometimes I feel like we have to go to the mountains or somewhere where no cell phone service can be reached to disconnect with the world. But few of us, including myself, actually realize that we can disconnect from our phones in our own homes. Disconnecting really helped me focus on myself and take time to nourish and heal my body, mind, soul, and relationships. When I had down time, instead of scrolling I would read, play with my kids, or create a new recipe! My stress levels drastically decreased and I felt free from many of the worlds pressures I put on myself!
Honestly, I was a little sad when my new phone came. I knew there were things I had to get done now that I had it back (sadly we rely on them so much). I am now, however, more aware of how often I'm using it and trying to still disconnect as much as I can. I find myself leaving it at home on our walks, leaving it in my room in the mornings, and placing it in my bathroom at night to physically separate myself more from it.
I hope to keep this up and be more intentional with my time on and off my phone. I also look forward to this summer where I will be "forced" to be away from my phone while we travel to locations where no cell phone service is! It's amazing to me how healing it can be to be away from technology and more present in our natural surroundings!
Love,
Danielle
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