![]() Otherwise, I’ll keep it plugged into the wall or in my backpack. Once I stopped looking at my phone so much, I became a lot calmer and more present.Īnd I say this as someone who’s a pretty moderate phone user overall, so I can only imagine how much anxiety people who are constantly on their phones must experience.įrom now on, then, I’m going to keep my phone on my person only when it’s necessary. ![]() Spending less time with my phone showed me how it can create constant low-grade anxiety. Of course, I still had to carry my phone with me when running certain errands, but I did leave it at home during my morning and evening walks. I could still use it, but only while it was plugged in. My phone is a source of low-grade anxietyĭuring this experiment, I tried to keep my phone in Do Not Disturb mode and plugged into the charger. I might still walk with headphones on certain occasions, but it will be the exception, not the rule. Sometimes one of those thoughts was even good enough to write down in a pocket notebook.ĭue to this benefit, I’m going to keep this practice going forward. Without music or podcasts piping into my ears, I was able to really think, really relax my mind and let thoughts occur to me. Because while a walk with headphones still gives you the physical benefits of the walk, you lose the mental benefits. I had never questioned this behavior until Digital Minimalism pointed out how taking a walk with headphones deprives you of true solitude (being alone with your thoughts in the absence of input from other minds).Īnd the more I took walks without headphones, the more I realized what I’d been missing. Walks are better without headphonesĮver since I’ve owned quality headphones, I’ve worn them on most walks I take. I do still occasionally need access to it for work, but that’s about it. Going forward, I think I’m going to keep it blocked for most of the week. I only noticed I had it blocked when embedded videos on other websites wouldn’t play. I did miss YouTube a lot during the first week of the experiment, mostly because it had become my default way to fill free time.īut after a week or so, I stopped even thinking about it. ![]() Therefore, I expected YouTube’s absence to be one of the most difficult parts of the experiment. My main impetus for this experiment was the unhealthy amount of time I spent watching YouTube. With 30 days now past, I want to explore what I’ve learned from the experience, and how it’s changed my digital life: I don’t miss YouTube Then, after the break, you selectively reintroduce the technologies that bring you value and continue to exclude those that don’t. For around 30 days, you take a break from all optional digital technologies. The digital declutter is an idea from Cal Newport’s book Digital Minimalism (affiliate link). It may sound like I traveled back in time to the 1960s, but in fact, I was doing an experiment. And I kept my phone plugged into the wall. By Ransom Patterson | Last Updated: April 6, 2021įor most of March, I didn’t watch YouTube, Hulu, or Netflix.
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