Cellphone detoxing can improve your daily routine

During October of last year, I attended the annual Treasure Island Music Festival in San Francisco. Unfortunately, during the last set of the weekend, I lost my phone as I was making my way through a sea of people.

Like a typical teenager who, I was crushed. The moment I realized it was no longer in my possession, I freaked out and began frantically retracing my steps in the dark. My stomach sank.

That’s the moment I began my four-month phone-less journey.

I remember the first four or five days were the hardest. I kept forgetting I had lost my phone and continually reached for it. Then I would remember and feel that same disappointment in myself for being so irresponsible.

My phone was an extension of myself. It was always with me, and adjusting to life without it was strange at first. I slowly began to realize how dependent I was on it. Whether it was for directions, finding places to eat or for researching useless information, I no longer had the world at my fingertips.

Trying to get places became so much harder without the crutch of Google Maps. I actually had to look up directions ahead of time. Shocking.

I’m not proud to admit this, but there were places that I used to go almost every week but didn’t know how to get there without the help of my phone.

Another app I used all the time is Yelp. As a foodie, I’m always looking for a new and yummy places to eat and losing that convenient feature in my life hard.

 It took me two weeks to realize that not having a phone was amazing, in a way. Sure, it had its disadvantages, but I immediately noticed a positive change in my day to day life.

I stopped having to constantly check in with my parents, which was particularly freeing. In a way it showed them I was in fact responsible and capable of keeping myself alive without hourly check-ins.

Also, without my nose constantly in my phone, I had the chance to observe the world around me. I found myself chatting up strangers more often and engaged in some interesting conversations. I even formed a few spontaneous friendships.

My attention span was also improving immensely. I wasn’t constantly itching to check my Instagram feed every five minutes, or Snapchat my friends any chance I could. Consequently, my grades began to improve and I genuinely felt like my quality of life was improving. I was appreciating what was real and tangible around me, instead of searching for stimulation through a screen.

I do believe being phone-less offered me a well needed reality check. It reminded me there is a whole world outside my phone that is real and tangible for me to experience.

After replacing my phone, I have found myself using it less than I did before. I can honestly say that I would make phone detoxing an annual ritual.