I did it. I made it through. I’m still alive. I accomplished the impossible.
What did I do? I went 62 hours without using my phone (or any screen for that matter). 62 hours, yes, you read it right and I am still walking our planet. From Friday at 6:00 PM until Monday at 8:00 AM I lived off the grid, well, at least off the web.
I’ve been working on making a conscious effort to disconnect from our overly-connected world. What prompted this extreme action on my part? First, I’m working on a novel that poses an extreme change for the human race as we know it today. Without revealing too much, it’s a change that necessitates the absence of phones, and a lot of other things for that matter! Constantly thinking about this story prompted me to test my theories. Second, and more importantly, I wanted to be more present to my family (more about this shortly). Third, I am in the final planning stages for a trip that will take me far from any communication and I wanted to start the weaning process. Finally, I wanted freedom. I didn’t want to be tethered to a device for a weekend.
Shortly after placing my phone on airplane mode, habit kicked in and told me to check my email. It was probably around 6:15. This made me painfully aware of how often I do check email, apps, etc. Determined to see this through, I resisted and reminded myself that it was off limits until I got to work on Monday.
After changing out of my work clothes I began digging out my gear for my trip. In my backpack I found a hacky-sack from a previous trip. I began kicking it around the living room. My children, young and old, were curious about this tiny bean bag and so they joined in. We spent the rest of evening, about two-three hours, playing in the living room. We had individual competitions for the most hits in a row as well as a group hack where dessert would only follow a complete hack (where everyone hit the bag at least once).
On Saturday morning I got out of bed at 5:00 as usual and prayed through the daily readings. I then headed out on our trail around the property to get in six miles with some fairly new boots that need broke-in. I planned on working on my novel but I instead volunteered to help my older son work on a go-kart he is rebuilding in the barn. Around noon, Nicole and I took the younger kids to the local pool and spent a couple of hours there diving, sliding, and swimming. When we arrived home, our oldest son was there with his wife and our granddaughter. The rest of the afternoon was spent either fighting for the chance to hold her, reading, or playing more hacky-sack. We shared a meal and cleaned up together. Afterwards, some of the family went downstairs to watch the Olympics while I read and struggled to stay awake on the sofa.
On Sunday we went to Mass and came home and fixed a big breakfast. We then took one of our sons to Damascus Catholic Mission Campus for Catholic Youth Summer Camp. We visited with our son who is a 2nd year missionary there and our nephew who is on the service staff. We then met friends for Velvet Ice Cream in Utica, OH and headed home. I spent the rest of the afternoon in our pool with our youngest daughter and the evening taking care of hanging flowers.
Needless to say, it was a wonderful, undistracted weekend. The only thing I really missed was taking pictures. However, there were enough other phones to cover these major events and I can enjoy them through our shared online album.
When I finally turned my phone on again when I arrived at work there were 50+ emails that I had “missed”. I deleted all but five and responded to the rest in about 20 minutes. I had “missed” 2 text messages and 2 phone calls. Neither of them were urgent.
Personally, I think I’m on to something. I enjoyed my weekend more than any other weekend I’ve had in recent memory. I was more present. I read more. I played more. I gave more undivided attention to my wife and kids. I felt happier and less stressed. I Googled nothing, shopped for nothing. I didn’t constantly check email, social media, blog stats, or book sales.
My goal now is to make this a regular habit where my phone is on airplane mode from the time I get home in the evening until I arrive back at work during the week. I also plan to repeat my weekend phone fast from here on out. In other words, if you want to reach me, please try to do so between the hours of 8:00 AM to 6:00PM on Monday – Friday. On the weekends, sorry, I’ll be offline. In case of emergency, try to reach me through one of my relatives. During these disconnected periods, I’ll be living my real life, focused, present, and untethered.
I highly recommend trying this yourself. What’s the worst that could happen? You’ll miss an advertisement disguised as an email? You won’t see a “like” on Facebook or Instagram? You won’t be able to look up what type of plant is growing in your garden? It’s not easy, at least not at first, but make a commitment even if it’s just for 12, 24, or 48 hours. Maybe give your phone to a family member to hide until your time is up thus enforcing your commitment.
Have you tried going without being connected for any length of time? Let me know about your experiences in the comments, I’ve love to hear about them!
James M. Hahn, Author 