I am on a forever quest to distance myself from my iPhone. Are you too? The relationship verges a little Gollum-esque My Precious! sometimes and, other times, well, I want to light it on fire with a cackle. Unfortunately (but also fortunately; I do love the “work” I do) any income I bring in relies heavily on it. But, boundaries! Forming good habits! Namely keeping it away from my person! are all important, especially as I am now homeschooling and have little eyes on me all day–eyes that I really, really don’t want staring at their own iPhones one day.
I realized one of my reasons for having it nearby was for the time. Sometimes, you just need to know the time! Enter old school Casio watch. Guess who doesn’t need to know the time with her iPhone anymore?
This girl.
I often keep my phone on the first floor when we go up to the third floor to do school and, let me tell you, it’s glorious. So, friends, if you found that you were also keeping time with your iPhone and having a watch might serve as just the thing you need to break the habit, give it a try.
This makes me miss my old Baby G watch back in primary school!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Time for another watch, Charmaine! ◡̈
Oh my gooooosh, I had one too! Such a nastolgic memory! 🖤
My problem is that every time I distance myself from my phone, there’s a cute picture that I want to take of the kids doing something. Haha. A phone is just so much easier than a camera. 😩
Oh I totally get that. Someone on IG suggested Airplane mode! Think of it as TRULY a digital camera and nothing more, and maybe it can be done?!
Love this! What a beautifully simple idea.
This is a great idea! I am with you. I desperately want to be free of my phone, for my sake and my children’s. It has helped me to have a book with me at all times. When I am sitting, waiting anywhere, I can read a book with actual pages, and they can see me doing that instead of staring at a screen scrolling to pass the time.
yes! i second that! when i have a good book, and that is my default instead of phone scrolling, i am much happier.
Yes! I need to get a watch. I recently got an old school alarm clock for the time in my room for this exact reason, but a watch would be wonderful too. Thank you for the tip.
yes! I recently decided to put my apple watch away and use my nice watch so that I could distance myself from the instant notifications etc. feels so much better.
Hey Bridget! Long time no comments from me, I’m sorry for that! Life has a way of being completely absorbing at times! I love this idea you wrote about and completely agree with it. Even though we are not blessed with children yet, I still think the same, how will my children be if they see me on my phone all day long? Do I want that of them? No. That terrifies me!
I understand relying on an iPhone for income is necessary, but since that is not my case in life right now we decided it was best to just get rid of our iPhones and go to “dumb phones.” I’m not going to lie, it was not easy, but now it feels so freeing! I find myself bringing a book with me if I have to wait in lines, or just taking in everything around me, rather than scroll through me phone as was my usual routine. We got into the whole “dumb phone” movement and while it can seem so limiting, has actually been the opposite for us. Both my husband and I have said we felt like we actually think more deeply, and have begun journaling and it’s been wonderful. We are reading a book called “The Shallows” and it is centered on how technology is changing the way our brains are wired. It’s fascinating and scary and so timely right now, and reading your post I just had to mention it.
Anyways, you said you felt happier reading a real book and I get you, Bridget, totally. Thanks for talking about these things, you don’t hear about them enough and it’s so refreshing to read! All the best to you and yours!
That is AMAZING. Sometimes I’m shocked at how we’re all being forced to have iPhones — via apps to keep in touch with your child’s teacher, easier to sign up for workout classes on an app, even down to cars no longer being made with CD players and just bluetooth capabilities. Also… THEY ARE EXPENSIVE! Remember the days we didn’t have monthly phone and internet payments?!
I’ll need to check out that book! Apparently another called Digital Minimalism is worth reading!
Yes I do remember those days! Wow, does that make us sound old? Just in my early thirties but lately I’ve been feeling the time passing deep inside my soul. Not sure if its the nostalgia of seeing the whole world change almost instantly before our eyes and remembering ‘how it used to be’, or maybe something inside of our biological clocks turns another leaf? I don’t know, if you have the answers please do share! 🙂
It is remarkable how much we are being made to need iPhones, for all the reasons you mentioned, even for looking at a menu at restaurants! When I don’t have an iPhone to pull out sometimes I feel I need to follow it up with “sorry I am a dinosaur”…
Will check out that book you mentioned, thank you!!
My parents and siblings get SO annoyed because I don’t keep my phone near me. I love the freedom of not having it around. No more comparison. No more time wasted. No more stupid texts messages with pictures of food or cats. ha!