I’ll let you into a little secret of mine. Every Sunday, I put my phone away – all day. It started as an experiment a few years ago, a challenge to myself. Could I, a busy middle-aged woman who's quite attached to her phone, actually spend a whole day without it? Could I spend the day without checking my socials, learning new ways to clean the bathroom on TikTok or consulting Google about what was happening in the world around us? What I discovered was something quite wonderful.
Why I Started
It was a typical Sunday a few years ago when I found myself mindlessly scrolling through my phone, half-listening to my son talking about the dream he had last night, half-lost in a digital world of strangers and acquaintances. That's when it struck me – what am I missing here, in the real world, right in front of me? If I'm immersed in my phone, I'm not fully present for my family. And if I'm not fully present, how is that affecting them and how they feel? That maybe they're not valued enough for me to give them my full attention? I felt awful when I stopped to really think about it.
I won't lie; the first time I turned off my phone, I felt a bit anxious. What if someone needed me? What if I missed something important? What if my parents have an accident and can't get hold of me? But as the hours passed, something shifted. Laughter and chatter in the household. A lightness, an energy, love and connection. My teenagers became more animated and engaged. I felt freer and more attuned to life around me.
What Changed:
Family Time Became Real: That first phone-free Sunday, I had one of the longest conversations with my son in ages. We talked, we laughed, and not once did I feel the urge to check my phone. It was liberating.
Mindful Moments: I took a walk in the garden, and it was as if I saw the flowers for the first time in full colour – their vibrant hues, delicate textures. I realised how much natural beauty I had been missing whilst immersed in a screen.
Rediscovering Old Hobbies: I picked up a book I had been meaning to read and got lost in its pages.
Stress Levels Dropped: The constant buzzing of notifications can be overwhelming. Without it, I felt a sense of peace I hadn’t known in a long time.
I thought I would feel cut off from the world without my phone. Instead, I felt more connected – to my family, to nature, and to myself. It was as if a fog had lifted, and I could see and appreciate the world more clearly.
The joy of a phone-free Sunday is hard to put into words. It's like giving yourself the gift of time – time to listen, to observe, to be. I found that the world didn’t stop because I wasn’t online. If anything, my little world became richer and deeper. And it has now become a regular 'thing'.
If you're considering a phone-free day, I say go for it. It might feel strange at first, but the tranquility and connection you’ll experience is something quite special. It’s become my weekly mini-holiday, a day I cherish for its simplicity, joy and serenity.
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