31 Days Without My Phone — From Screen Time to Quality Time
What I learned when I put my phone down for 31 days
Things took a frustrating turn in December 2022. I’d just been idling my days and nights away, flitting from one drama to the next, becoming a couch potato.
In hindsight, I knew it was my choice to be in this slump, a conscious decision. But, what happened next altered my course.
My elder sister presented me with an ultimatum: either I put away my phone for a month to kick-start some productivity, or I bring about a change in myself. There wasn’t much room for negotiation, so I willingly accepted the challenge. It’s what you do when you respect your elders, right?
What happened next is nothing less than the transformation of Autobots into transformers.
I woke up early and worked out. Read some religious scripts and invested my time in studying different subjects. Dusty encyclopedias that hadn’t seen the light of human hands in years became my companions and I became mad crazy reading them as if I’d just discovered the book that would give me the exact location of the center of the earth.
I also experimented with new recipes from YouTube, upskilling in the cooking department. Productivity overloaded, right?
Seriously, did you believe that? Because that was NOT what happened.
But what happened instead, is that I rediscovered my path to reading books. I had a mini-library of unread tomes that had long yearned for my attention. December seemed like the perfect month to heed their call.
As the nights became longer, I found myself finishing not one, but four books. A lot of accomplishment for someone who’d been slumping for the past few weeks.
- The first book I was honored to read was “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. I can’t express the regret I felt for not reading it any sooner. I don’t think I can grasp all the life lessons that it gives. The storytelling is timeless.
- Next came “Bloodline” by Sidney Sheldon, a crime thriller that I’d rate 6/10. It was a decent read but paled compared to Sheldon’s other works. Nevertheless, a good way to pass the time.
- The third one was the most awaited book that I’d wanted to read for so long. It’s none other than George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”. I can’t describe how many times I re-read the paragraphs, the metaphors, the sentence structures, the story depiction, and the reality in it were just too spectacular for me to finish it quickly. Albeit a very short story, I took my time to read this book to grasp the concepts in it thoroughly. Worth the time and hype. If I had to describe it in one line, it would be this — “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”.
- The fourth book, “Target” by Simon Kernick, was a fast-paced crime novel, a real page-turner that read like an action movie. However, I couldn’t help but cringe at the author’s Islamophobic themes, which made me realize that people despite being educated, choose to be ignorant. A human trait I despise.
Beyond books, I tried learning chess, albeit with little success and made it a mission to solve the Rubik’s cube. I’m still working on that one. Apart from this, I did learn a few new recipes. I hadn’t completely abandoned my dramas, I would watch on the PC but only dedicated 2–3 hours of screen time in the entire day.
This detox period made me realize that life could be so much more when we’re not tethered to our online world. I discovered I possessed a sharp memory when focused on the right things. It also instilled in me a sense of self-conscious control over my phone usage, a goal I had never imagined achieving in such a short time.
So, what led to my triumphant reunion with my phone?
January 1st marked the birthday of my best friend, and that became my ticket to return to the digital world. I had to wish her through this electronic screen.
And let’s not forget the countless advantages of having a smartphone. After all, you’re reading this through one, aren’t you? It allowed me to share my experiences and thoughts.
The internet is a realm of endless pros and cons. My takeaway? Exercise control over your internet usage — it makes a world of difference.
Those 31 days without my phone were nothing short of a transformation, and a test of patience. I navigated them with both grace and frustration. Or at least I think so. Looking back, it was a challenge well worth undertaking.
Life, with its constant surprises, keeps us on our toes, even if we’d rather be reclining on our couches. As I continue my journey, I’m still learning to be prepared for whatever life throws my way, be it trials, triumphs, or a Rubik’s cube yet to be solved.
I’ll continue the adventure with my sense of humor intact because when life tests your patience, laughter is often the best response.
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