“It is essential of the happy life that a man would have almost no mail and never dread the postman’s knock”. -C.S. Lewis
Sometimes we just need to get away from it all.
But I’ve found that when this feeling manifests, it’s one that is almost impossible to satiate.
I could go for a walk, go fishing, or even take a whole week long vacation, but alas, I could never escape the pull of my phone.
Always crying out, beeping and booping, screaming out for my attention.
I would hear it call from my pocket as it shook on my thigh.
I’d try to put it out of mind and go on with whatever it is that I was doing. But steadily lingering in the back of mind, questions of curiosity would slowly push themselves to the forefront.
And eventually, I would answer. Every. Single. Time.
The symptoms I was showing were so in-line with those of common addictions, that I had to take action.
I knew It was time for a digital detox.
It’s not that I want to be alone. I just want to free myself from the obligations which present themselves digitally.
I realize that I don’t like the fact that I am expected to be available 24 hours a day. It’s too much pressure and can become the cause of anxiety.
So I simply turned off all of my alerts.
Now, if you text or e-mail me, I’ll have no idea until I consciously make the decision to open up my e-mail or messenger app.
It’s been liberating, to say the least.
Now I check my messages only once a day, and twice if I’m working on a project. The first time is right after I’ve had my morning stroll and coffee, and the second is between 4-5pm. I’ve made everyone in my circle aware of this, and they will come to learn that these are the only times they can expect responses from me.
On my walks now, I can happily have my phone with me, comfortable in the fact that it will never be calling out for my attention.
Less distractions leave me more time to easily enjoy all the beauty that surrounds me.
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Hart Helps 
So many things are good, until they enslave us. I like the fact that if any family emergency happens, I can be notified, but at the same time, I will not allow progress to steal my peace of mind. Who says slavery has gone out of style? I see it constantly, and most are smiling as the phone cracks the whip!
Excellent idea. But if you phone a friend on your off hours, should they answer? 🙂
Good for you for removing the chains. It is so easy to get addicted to your phone. And Facebook, email, etc. But I wonder if people are really experiencing life if their attention is called away by that ever present ping.
honestly i feel like throwing my computer thru the window these days…. i used to take computer breaks and veg in front of the tv for 3 months, i don’t think anybody noticed i was gone… but now i don’t have a tv, and all my books are electronic…. is it just me? or is that totally depressing? haha
Great post, it’s indeed important to unplug.
I look back often on life before computers and cell phones and cannot come to a conclusion other than that life was, in many ways, much better than it is today.