I gave up my mobile phone and I couldnt be happier

In this age of 24/7 digital connectedness, I have decided to disconnect. It has now been almost 2 months since I gave up my mobile phone, and I could not be happier.

Background

Firstly, let me tell you something... I grew up in the 1980s/1990s and have been into technology since I was a child. I had Commodore 64, an original Nintendo, a Gameboy, and dodgy little Windows 3.1 PC with 1MB of RAM. 

Fast-forward to 2020, and I have been experiencing growing anxiety about technology. Various technologies have not been enriching or simplifying my life, but rather complicating, and adding burden. Around 5 years ago I started putting my phone on airplane mode at night because I didn't want any buzzing or beeping waking me up due to a notification.

I grew to hate my phone

My mobile phone was the first thing I interacted with when I woke, and the last thing I used before going to sleep. For quite some time, I felt that this was unhealthy.

Over the last few years I found myself checking my phone out of habit dozens of times per day. Every time I walked by my phone, I would look at it to see if the notification light was blinking. When I turned off almost all notifications, it still pulled me in to check something. For example, I no longer had email notifications, however I would open the app to check for new emails. 

The other thing I hated about my phone was that I often used it when I should have just waited until  I was home to used my laptop. I even wrote blog articles on it! Do you know how inefficient that was?

Even conversations with people involved using a phone. I would tend to check my phone when hanging out with friends. Google maps, photos, and Googling for information. It seemed that I forgot how to talk to people without using a phone.

What was the tipping point?

In September I had a vacation for 10 days. The plan was to stay home, go for walks, go for a drive, and go hiking... as part of this plan I wanted to completely disconnect from technology. I needed to rest my mind. The following is what happened...

When driving, we used GPS directions in Google Maps. When paying for parking I download an app. When hiking I took my phone and power bank, "just in case". Every time I left the house, I took my phone. Even my attempt to limit my usage was met with scenarios which would prompt me to take out my device.

Did I disconnect? Definitely not. I used my phone almost every day of that vacation. That was the realisation for me that there was no way to "limit" phone usage when the phone was always in my bag/pocket. So I decided to give up my mobile phone.

How did I do it?

To be honest, my first thought was to just throw it away. However I realised that there was too much crap that I had which relies on an app. Such as, Monzo (mobile only bank), Google Authenticator, WhatsApp to name just a few. 

A couple months on, and I have managed to push many of my WhatsApp contacts to email. I never really used the Monzo app, so I will either ditch Monzo entirely, or put it on an Android VM. There are various options for Google Authenticator, however I have not needed to use it as I'm always using the same laptop. So I'll push that decision into the future.

The only other thing was an alarm clock. Luckily, I had an old battery powered Ikea clock laying around.

What is life like without a phone?

It's great. I feel free!

My mobile phone sits in a box on my shelf, power off. When I leave the house, I no longer have a compulsion to check a device, because I don't carry one. I don't even need a watch because I can just ask someone the time. It really is quite liberating. 

In the evenings I have actually started reading before bed, and I find my sleep to be more restful.

There is odd occasion where I need to be called or SMS'd for banking verification, however, that is rate. There are a few options out there such as Skype phone numbers. I may look into that in the future. 

But what if...? 

I know what you're thinking... 

What if I am meeting someone and they're running late? 
I tell them that I don't carry a phone, so they cannot contact me. In other words... don't be shit!

What if I'm running late for a meeting?
I still have email, and my mobile phone is at home in a box. I will just turn it on and make a phone call.

What if I'm out and about, and running late for something?
Remember back in day when people didn't have mobile phones? In other words... I won't pack my life with so much stuff that I end up being late for things.

What about when flights and traveling are ever a thing again? 
To be honest, I will probably take my phone where a flight or a long trip are concerned. However I would treat it like I would a laptop. It would remain turned off, and only be powered up for use as a mini computer to grab documents out of emails. 

Final Thoughts

Being a programmer, I have not disconnected entirely from technology. However, I feel liberated as I am no longer shackled to the mobile phone. Most of the things I used it for are better experienced on a large screen with real keyboard anyway.

Giving up my mobile phone was the best thing I have done in a long time. It was not enriching my life or making it simpler. It was an annoyance. The constant notifications, and habit of checking it were the factors which led me to hate my mobile phone. 

There are still a few apps which I need to either close down or move to an Android VM. However, for the most part, I am phone free.

One bit of advice... If you do decide to follow, you will need a real alarm clock.