Excellent book, I agree. Thank for sharing your experience about “feeling a pull” to look at your phone even when engaged with your baby, I relate. I think we all experience this until we can break the habit, I used to pull out my phone – what felt like every few minutes – and do anything on it from checking the weather to email, I didn’t even have any social media accounts! It was really silly once I started to notice what I was doing.

I’m imperfect and it’s definitely an ongoing process each day after years of using my phone so much, but it feels worth it. Anyway, wanted to share in case the book might be of interest/help to you or your followers!

Between five-six years ago I deleted all social media apart from LinkedIn which I use as a business professional exclusively. This was a life changing move. I hope I may be proof that a reasonably young person (32) can live a rich and fulfilling life without it. I have taken a significantly gentler approach to the use of technology which has been valuable to both myself and those around me.

1. All technology remains in the office. I leave my computer and cell phone (my only tech-items) in the office, whether work or personal, I sit at the table to use my computer or I sit in a nearby chair to use my phone. It imbues a certain amount of dignity and meaning into the use of these devices that I was only able to experience through constant application of this practice.

2. I turn off my phone/computer at designated times each day. Formerly, I slept with my phone next to my bed, used it up until I went to sleep, went on it in the night when I couldn’t sleep and used it immediately upon waking. Now it remains in the office (all day and night) as if it was a landline and I turn it off around 9:00PM when I begin my unwinding routine and I turn it on around 8:00AM when I begin work. I also periodically turn it off in the day to feel totally disconnected, an example would be if we have guests, or a meal, or something lengthy that I would not want to be interrupted.

3. Lastly, I avoid taking my phone places in which I most likely don’t need it. Examples would be anything from a walk, to dinner with friends or the grocery store. When I began this practice at first it seemed impossible, but I learned to communicate to others that I would be inaccessible by phone, or take a paper grocery list, etc and in time it all smoothed out.

Once one creates the habit of disconnecting, it is simple. Friends and family or anyone who sees this normally considers it to be a marvel and is left in bewilderment as to how to implement these types of practices, but if I can do it anyone can.

That’s a great idea. I used to leave my phone in another room and I don’t really know why I stopped but I should start that again.

Love that idea. I actually take Friday-Sunday morning off IG, but for the most part it’s completely off my phone too because I feel like it’s my “off” time. I feel like a new person on Sunday and usually don’t want to look at my phone after my break, ha.

Hahahah! Yeah, I should ask my Mom that, although she had three kids under 3 in the 80s and was an attorney, soooo…lol.

xo Jessica
an indigo day