How many times do you check the phone in a day? I can’t seem to remember my number. So I decided to do an experiment. I didn’t check my phone for one full day. Here is what happened :

I’ll l tell you it was such a difficult day. We live in the age of constant monitoring and perpetual access to the world at the tip of our fingers. Though this makes sense in emergencies, I always have an uneasy feeling of being tied to a rope mentally. I won’t lie and say that I felt so free when I didn’t check my phone and that I noticed so many things around me ! The truth is that I felt apprehensive and I don’t want to feel that way anymore!

We are so much attached to our devices. My grandpa would have said jokingly that your phone is one of your organs now – you can’t seem to breathe without it. This is not an understatement. Whatsapp has made life easier and difficult at the same time. Instagram and youtube give us moving visuals and ready information so easily that it is a herculean task to open a book and read. I have been trying to start a good reading habit since such a long time but have been minutely successful.

So I took inspiration from the recent book I read – Atomic Habits and decided to start small. Yesterday for one day, I tried to touch my phone only if it rang. I answered a few phone calls and took a few photos. That’s it! It was one of the hardest day for me mentally. It felt like the day we had to wear masks for the first time.

I was inspired to try this when I recently met a friend who is NOT on any social media platforms. It felt as if she and me, we lived on different planets! My profession doesn’t allow me to give-up social media completely but I am going to try to reduce the usage for a more creative work flow.

Have you been on this path? Do you know any tips ? Please do drop them in the comments!