Almost everyone these days has a smartphone.
In fact, the only people I know who don’t, are my parents and my off-the-grid roomie who purposely downgraded to a “dumb” phone several years ago.
Don’t get me wrong I love my smartphone.
With Google in my pocket there’s not a random factoid I can’t find or a place I can’t figure out how to get to.
But, it can get overwhelming.
Sometimes it feels like I can’t get away.
I recently spent the weekend at my cousin’s lake house in New Hampshire.
Among it’s many attributes is the lack of cell coverage.
Or at least it used to be!
Thanks to AT&T, I now have 4G coverage out in the boonies.
Some of you might think I’m bat shit right now.
What’s so bad about having service??
Nothing. If you want to stay connected to the outside world.
But one of the things I love about my home away from home is unplugging.
Most of the time I don’t even bring my charger.
It’s insanely liberating.
Especially for someone who works in social media. Even when I want to cut the ties that bind me, I still have a job to do.
my home away from home 🙂
In our hyper-connected, Facebook obsessed world, not having internet access completely changes your perspective.
If you’re trying to be more mindful, live more fully in the moment, or maybe trying a Happiness Project of your own, I highly recommend unplugging.
Have you ever gone out without your phone?
Did you feel naked?
Or does it make you feel free??
For me it’s a little of Column A, a little from Column B.
We’ve all see that group of friends out to dinner, eyeballs glued to their phones, instead of actually talking to each other.
Don’t be those people.
My Mom has this awesome rule of no phones at her dinner table.
It’s pretty rude when you think about it.
It’s okay to break bread together, but God forbid you have an actual face to face conversation?!
The next time you’re out, leave your phone at home.
Or if you really can’t be without it, at least turn your ringer off.
The electronic tether is much easier to ignore if you can’t hear it.
It’s the polite thing to do.
Mom said so 🙂
Adventures In Adulthood 