By Cris • 9 Comments
A day without your cell phone may seem strange to many of us especially in this age where our lives are dictated by technological advancements and upgrades. For a week, I tried living my life sans mobile phone and it has been a liberating experience. Spending even a day without your cell phone may not be the most exciting suggestion you have read today, but here are seven reasons why you should consider doing it:
When did you last meet up with your college buddies - go to dinner, talk about your stressful jobs, and exchange horrible experiences and laugh about it? Or are you just content with sending smiley faces via text messages or liking her FB post? A day without your cell phone reconnects you to the world. You don't need a charger to do that.
I own a tablet because I am taking my master's via an online platform but I still prefer reading a hard copy of a book. There's nothing like holding a real book: feeling its hardbound cover, and smelling that oh-so-familiar aroma that reminds you of a land far, far away. It's a good habit to constantly get lost in the pages of a book.
You meet and interact with other humans. You look up and you see real faces that smile, frown, and cry; not emoticons that you click on in your chat box to convey your emotions.
Have you turned to your phones many times to just order fast food because you are too tired to whip up something? That happened to me some years ago. It was no fun, especially for my health. Set aside that cell phone and rediscover your kitchen. Create your own dish and give it the most uncommon name that you can imagine.
And it's not that thing you use to move the cursor. What I find liberating in letting go of my mobile phone once in a while is the opportunity to dig into my treasure trove of vocabulary - actually spelling out words. I's so different to masses of people typing ROFL, IOW, and LOL.
Give your fingers their much needed rest and drop that phone. Put it in a box, cover it, and get up from that couch! Do something that requires physical strength: finish your laundry, write a letter to your partner, or go to the gym. You'll rediscover the fact that the world does not only revolve around that minute screen you held in your hands.
It goes beyond your response to another person's FB status. To like a person means to admire him/her and cherish him/her as a significant part of your life. In the real world, expressing your "like" towards other people may seem difficult to some people. It may take days, months, and even years before the person can express his/her liking. It doesn't start and end with a single click.
Have you ever experienced living a day or two without your cell phone? How was your experience?