Intentionally stepping back from indulging in something so habitual like checking my phone was undeniably challenging, yet by the end of this experiment I felt a sense of calm. The digital detox is something I familiarized myself with after reading Cal Newport's "Digital Minimalism." In which he touches on the values of unplugging and reconnecting with your genuine interests and real life connections, and how the addictive nature of social media can curdle our own potential and wellbeing. In his book, he suggests doing a "digital declutter" where you refrain from using optional technologies in your everyday life for 30 days in order to gain a better perspective on what technologies are actually important to you. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, this one day challenge still brought difficulties. I chose to commence my detox on a Sunday, free of any plans or obligations so I would have no excuse to check my phone. Normally, I wake up and check my phone before my eyes even adjust so I had to intentionally place my phone across the room to avoid this second nature glance. I replaced my morning scroll with a hardy novel instead, which was a refreshing break for my eyes and a stimulating activity for my brain. I had planned to focus on school work for the day which paired perfectly with this experiment. Initially, things were going smoothly and I had completely forgot I was even doing this challenge as I had no desire to check my phone for a few hours, but once I started to feel depleted by the abundance of school work I quickly wanted to resort back to a quick scroll to "refresh" my mind. Of course, these phones breaks don't actually give us the proper break our brains need to refocus and work so instead I fulfilled these appetites by focusing on hobbies and interests, just as Cal Newport suggests in his book. I dove right into some doodling to break up my workflow and found it to be quite relaxing and enjoyable. Once I found an activity that interested me, it was easy to focus in on that one thing and forget all about my phone, so long as it wasn't in any direct line of vision. Something about just having my phone near me feels like a siren call to my subconscious, out of sight out of mind as they say. The day fell to night and I once again felt the urge to check my phone one last time before bed. This time I replaced that habit with an evening yoga session, something I always tell myself I'll do but am ultimately reluctant when the time comes. Finally, I ended the day without a single phone check and when I woke up the next morning my life was still in tact! Overall, I had a simple yet productive day and It gave me the ability to be intentional with my time and do the things I always tell myself I'll do. I don't know if I'm ready to tackle 30 days yet, but when I do I'm sure I'll thank myself for it!
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