No Phone

When you wake up, your mind is a blank canvas. The first things you paint on this canvas are very, very important, as they set the foundation for the rest of your day.

Yesterday morning I decided to not look at my phone at all. This was very eye-opening. Usually in the morning I am frantic and in a rush; but this time I was calm. My brain also usually feels foggy, however now I could think very clearly.

I realized that checking my phone in the morning bombards me with information, regardless of whether I choose to process it. Some people will have texted me, the group chats I’m in will always have unread messages, and I will see all of my reminders/upcoming meetings for the day. Even if I’m not immediately using my phone, this is the canvas for the rest of my day by default: 10 different things to think about, all at once. I don’t even get a chance to think autonomously because my mental state has been decided for me.

As expected, I was very bored that morning without my phone. But I got the chance to think consciously: how I felt before going to sleep the night before, what I cared about accomplishing today, and things I was looking forward to. This new canvas was very powerful. Even if I used my phone later in the day, the foundation of thinking and acting with intent stuck with me.

Phones are so widespread in our lives that it seems almost radical to think about using them less. But phones weren’t around for most of human history, and we were doing just fine back then. They’re nice to have, but we don’t need them. And like I saw yesterday, sometimes life is better without them.