Second week without phone: the detachment
DAY 8
In the second week, I decided to face the challenge differently. The things that lead me to use the phone are notifications, so I turned them off. Instagram and WhatsApp are the two strongest distractions for me. However, Sunday is always an easy day. I work in the mornings and then in the afternoons I study and I go out with my friends, so I’m not very distracted by the phone. A little while ago, a friend of mine wanted to take some pictures so we used the phone for half an hour, but I respected the timing I have set for myself.
HOURS OF USE: 1
DAY 9
Today is a super day for my challenge. When I got back on the train, my phone was unloaded so I didn’t use it. The positive thing is not only this, but also the fact that I have not felt the absence of the smartphone. With this challenge I’m learning to feel good even without a telephone and not to abuse it. I think it is essential to keep in touch with friends and group mates, with people in general, but I became addicted to it and used it for useless things.
HOURS OF USE: 0.5
DAY 10
Today I exceeded the time limit allowed, but I’m so happy with how I did it. I noticed that I’m completely breaking away from Instagram, I’m practically not using it. I reached two hours of use because I was on the phone with the guys who are looking for an apartment in Milan with me, so it was a necessity.
HOURS OF USE: 2
DAY 11
Penultimate day. I wanted to count how many more hours I slept since I started the challenge. It seems strange: 12 hours. I completely eliminated the use of the phone before going to sleep and it’s the most interesting thing I learned! It’s very bad for our health and it reduces our rest time, so it will surely be a good habit that I will carry on in the future.
HOURS OF USE: 1
DAY 12
Today on the train I watched a movie on Netflix. I cheated. It’s the last day of this challenge that I’m not going to stop in the future.
The balance is positive: I realized that using the telephone less doesn’t mean imposing a daily time limit to yourself, but avoiding using it for useless activities. Spending time on Instagram means wasting it. We must be able to appreciate the usefulness of the telephone but without abusing of it. Calling friends, working with group mates or watching a movie are not wrong activities, you just have to give space to yourself and other interests.
Finally, without looking at the phone every ten minutes you are more concentrated and you use your time better.
