SFH #147: The Best Thing this Week
I don’t have my phone 🤣
The best thing happened on my way to NYC this week. I left my phone in our car at the Park & Fly in Miami.
I realized when I went to take my phone out to take a picture of the three Keto magazines lined up in a row at the airport newsstand. My inspiration for yesterday's blog. Initially, my reaction was disappointment, and then I quickly shifted to the excitement of the opportunity to be without my phone for a week. I've been a big fan of digital detoxing for some time, though I struggle to implement it like I think most of us do.
I have my Apple Watch, which is pretty handy to ensure I can still do phone calls. Plus, I can cover my bases with all other digital needs for work and personal on my computer or IPad.
Here's why it's been so great the past 72 hours.
I'm not distracted. It's crystal clear when I don't have my phone for the day that I feel more clear and lighter. I hypothesize that I'm not suffering from the constant task switching we all do with our smartphones, so I'm not tormented by cognitive depletion.1 Instead, I'm clear to focus my attention where it matters.
Speaking of focusing my attention where it matters. I built two websites today—coming soon. 🙌 And I've been time batching effectively throughout the last few days. When we get in the mode of consistently shifting gears, we repeat the pattern out of habit. Every 5-10 minutes looking at your email, inspecting your notifications, or just checking the time becomes a habitual cycle of distraction. With no phone to look at, I'm consciously staying on task and only changing gears when intuition tells me I need a break.
Without the cognitive decline, I can process, and problem solve at my highest level. The feel of the last few days is a flow state. I've felt this before in my days circa smartphone. Also, this mimics the times I've been highly invested in a project and able to put my phone aside.
If you are so moved, I highly recommend getting away from the stimulation suck and the tacit obedience you likely have to your phone. Just give it a day or two and see what happens. 🎉
https://www.verywellmind.com/multitasking-2795003