A day without technology

Life has been....well life. Some really crazy and scary things have happened, and some really legit things have happened too. But it is all overwhelming. I needed  a break or my brain would explode. So I thought to myself  "where are you the most at peace? Where do you process stress the best?" Answer: CAMP! Well, I couldn't just pick up and go to camp so I thought about what makes camp peaceful. Answer: No technology. There aren't 1000 things bidding for my attention. I am focused on the people around me, the job I need to do, and most importantly, I am focused on God. So I decided to have a day without a phone. I turned it off last night before I went to bed and didn't turn it back on until 9:00 tonight. And the only time I got on the computer was to do actual work, not to play on facebook, twitter, pinterest, etc.  Just short of 24 hours with out social media, email, or texting.

And it was....

WONDERFUL!!!!!

For me, not having a phone is just as natural as having one. I guess I should credit that to 5 years at camp. I know most people can't turn their phone off, cold turkey, and be okay. But it was pure bliss. Seriously, it was truly amazing. I didn't hide from the world or anything. I'm not becoming an introvert, that would be a bit much. I posted on facebook before I turned my phone off, telling people I was throwing it back to the 90's and turning my phone off, but I would be around campus all day, so come find me. In between classes I hung out with friends, laughed, and had coffee. It was a normal day. Only better. My attention wasn't split between a friend an a frustrating email or homework and twitter. I enjoyed the people I was with, focused on my work, and just had a more clear head.

It also put a lot of other things in perspective. A smart phone sometimes makes me think I can do everything all at once. But today, I could only do one thing at a time, only talk to that one person or group of people in front of me, and deal with one issues at a time. Everything wasn't pressing down on me at once. I didn't feel anxious or behind. I dealt with what was in front of me and then moved on.

This is something I really need to remember because I try to take everything on, fix everything, and be all things to all people. Don't get me wrong, technology is a beautiful thing, but sometimes I need to step away from it and remember I am only one person, and I can only do so much.

Next time you feel like you are being pulling in 100 different directions, turn your phone off. See what happens. ;)