Thirty-two done ... 20 to go...

What: #68 No screens for 24 hours

When: August 14th
Where: Home sweet home
Why: Here is my admission: I tend to use my phone and laptop more than I should. I think we all do. It's hard not to; these electronic devices are how I communicate with friends and family, how I keep up with world events, how I conduct my day-to-day work, keep track of my schedule, and how I'm entertained after a long day. Still, knowing that I could use a break from it every once in awhile, I usually go cold turkey off my electronics when I travel. I refuse to take my phone with me, and the only screen I look at will be for my camera. At first, this is no easy feat. Instantly upon arriving at the airport, I want to be able to check in with my Delta app, or let people know I'm all set or soon to be arriving. (Alas, I had to have thought ahead to set up arrangements and make plans, a skill that is dwindling these days). Soon after the first wave of no-phone panic has passed, I find freedom in not having my phone with me or feeling the pull of email or other avenues of communication. It gives me a rare chance to be fully present in the moments I'm experiencing, to talk with strangers, have completely engaged conversations with the people near me, to stay focused on what is actually happening and soaking it all up without feeling the need to instantly tell anyone anything. Upon a return from a trip like this, I revel in continuing that feeling, and so I embarked on a full 24 hours of no screens.

Even a year ago, this would have been easier. In fact, I tried something similar about 2 years ago and it was not nearly as difficult. When you think of what has a screen (and I'm not talking digital-clock type displays; the harsh back-lit displays are what I avoided), it is pretty stunning. A camera, my car, the TV, laptops, phones, and even the drive-thru window at a fast food establishment has a screen. To accomplish this feat, I essentially had to be under house arrest. So, beginning around 8pm one evening, I turned off all my electronics and began.

300 pages in one day!

The amazing thing about not being distracted by screens is how much I accomplished! In my typical day, I would usually do a little task, check my email, an hour would pass. Then I'd do another task, hop online again, another hour gone. Then I'd get on my phone to find some music to play, and find other apps to play with instead, and another hour is wasted away. Without all those distractions, I was able to do so much more with my 24 hours. For instance, I started AND finished a novel, actually finished it, after it had been sitting on my coffee table for nearly 3 months! And that's not all I did! I went through and cleaned out bins and crates that have sat around for months, a task that normally takes me weeks to attack, but I just kept at it. All of my laundry got washed. And I listened to my old boombox radio. I haven't done that in a long time because now it's always Pandora and playlists and iTunes and incessantly skipping tracks or flipping channels to find the best song. The radio made me almost feel calm. The other side effect is that I swear I slept better (something I'd realized months ago when I started reading before bed instead of playing on my phone). Now, even in the writing of this piece, I'm so sensitive to the harsh light the screen is emitting that I have to keep blinking to get through it.

PS: I'd recommend it!

This process has been a reminder of the black hole that my screens can be for me. As part of a healthy lifestyle, I need to be better about my time on them to allow myself more time to do the things I want to (or need to) and to be more present in my daily life, and I'm ready to challenge myself to do so by following certain guidelines, and less screen time provides me more time to be active, eat better, and sleep well every night. Who's with me?