What would happen...
If you went on a walk without your phone?
Nature photo of the day: a confident rooster strutting in the meadow.
long ago, the sky was the limit the world ended where your feet could no longer take you knowledge depended on the books you had the privilege to read, while wisdom grew from the parables of crones and from the whispers of wind sussurating through the leaves compassion was measured with soul not mindless agendas, droning away their spiritless tunes akin to programmed "music" that is no longer heartmade in the past, the world was vast, but now everyone has a personal universe that fits comfortably in a hand it's an ally, a friend, a foe, a messenger, your favorite band so loud it echoes through your whole life the whole world is one wee screen, oh, it's so hard to imagine that long ago, the sky was the limit - Csermely
In the past 15 years (I was born that long ago) phones have become such an integral part of daily life that many of us can’t even imagine existing without our phones anymore.
Nowadays, this may sound completely normal as a sentence - Yes, of course, my phone is always on me, just in case someone calls or there’s an ‘emergency’.
But let us take a step back & observe the situation our society is in for a moment, objectively if possible - is it really normal for us to be constantly connected to people far away through a small screen, while being increasingly less connected to the real world around us?
Let this sink in: over 70% of smartphone users try to sleep with their phones close to them, either on the bedstand or under their pillow. And during the day, the average human spends 6 or 7 hours a day with pure scrolling. This means we spend the vast majority of our time glued to our screens…
Is this really how we wish to continue our lives, never losing contact with our phone, instead losing the essential connection to ourselves?
How much time do you estimate you spend online in a day? And how much of that time is spent productively, compared to how long you are simply (inspiration/doom)scrolling? I’d love to know, & I would also love to hear what kind of practices you do to step back and disconnect a little each day!
The answer obviously isn’t to throw your phone, or laptop, out the window. It is to make boundaries - and this boundary can be your front door.
What I mean by this is that whenever possible, you can make it a habit to leave your phone at home when you go out for a walk. Going to the grocery store? Write your list on paper, instead of making notes on your phone. Taking a walk in nature? Leave your devices at home. Yes, even your smartwatch! Take a manual or digital camera if you must, but those aren’t essential either. Even if you don’t have pictures, it doesn’t mean the walk didn’t happen.
But what would happen if you went out on a walk without your phone? Would you panic, and run home to get your device, or would you relax without the presence of pings?
When we create boundaries between ourselves and the digital world (by designating certain hours of the day for tech use, or monitoring how much time we spend on social media), we discover the balance we’re missing in our day-to-day lives. By consciously stepping away from screens, we heal our spirits, & also give our bloodshot eyes a rest - while still being up to date with world events, cute dog videos, and articles on Substack.
Since we believe in living by what we preach, we went for a village walk today. We were gone for two hours and twenty minutes (measured by an old wristwatch), met a handful of dogs, a few handsome roosters, neighbors, friends, & were once again struck by the color palette of February… 50, or more, shades of gray.
Despite the grayness of the weather, there is an undeniable sensation of spring around the corner, in the breeze, & in ourselves.
And this feeling alone, after a long winter, is reason enough to get outside. It may have been some time since you last ventured out without a device in your pocket. You may have even forgotten what it feels like for a thought, a conversation, or simply your own silence, not to be disturbed by a phone.
So this is your invitation, however uncomfortable & foreign it may feel, to go for a jaunt, a hike, or a walk to a café, as you leave your phone at home. Since it may have been quite awhile ago that you stepped outdoors without devices present, here is a blueprint for what an analog saunter can be like…
First, we noticed pussy willows & catkins blooming along the road, a sure sign of spring which may have gone unnoticed if we were looking at our screens, not to mention the possibility of tripping over rocks, of which there are many.
Then we met our dog friends, who then walked with us to the village café. They were really happy for our petting hands and loving words, for what we all desire, deep down, is being loved, and appreciated.
We spotted this beautiful stone - another thing that we would not have seen if we were facetiming with someone far away.
Then we indulged in a coffee at our local coffee shop, gossiping with the owner about newcomers in the village, land prices, dogs, and we discussed a possible exhibit of my drawings during the summer months. We were all completely present, with no phones on the table…
After that, we continued our trudge through the fields, passing by many haystacks to pick up a book a friend promised to gift us, showcasing folk songs from the village.
On our way home we stopped at our very small local store to buy some sparkling water. This is a sign that you should support local businesses, the smaller, the better!
Then we visited our neighbors, buying 2 kilograms of freshly smoked bacon from them, and ordering fresh cottage cheese & eggs for tomorrow morning. This is what the bacon looks like when it’s in the handcrafted smoker.
By the time we got home, we worked up quite an appetite, so we prepared what we call a smorgasBreb, consisting of raw onions (from our own garden), a small slice of the raw bacon we just purchased, and two kinds of cheese. Then we ate lunch. If you haven’t been truly hungry for awhile, go for a long walk. You’ll be ravenous by the time you get back.
This is what our walk was like today - here’s one of our walks from June, however your stroll will likely look very different. But wherever you walk, be sure to be disconnected from the online world, connected completely to nature, to yourself, and to the other humans and creatures around you.
As for the journal prompt of the day:
What would happen if you took the morning, the afternoon, or the evening off of your devices? And if you did, how would you spend that time meaningfully?
By going for a walk? Having a party with friends? Visiting someone? Writing a letter? Reading a book? Creating art? Traveling? Journaling, sipping coffee, and spending quality time by yourself? Or something else?
Thank you for coming on this stroll with me! Now it’s your turn. Put your phone down, put on a jacket, and take a walk outdoors.
With gratitude,
I've always been a little bit different in my approach to technology, especially when it comes to phones. I prefer to not have one on me, mostly because of their energy, but also because - what IF someone calls?! If I'm out on a walk, or riding the bus, I'd rather not be disturbed until I get to my desired destination. Unless I know that someone plans to call, or we have to call someone else, I'm always happy to turn it off when I don't need it.
Besides, mobile phones are still relatively new to humanity in the grand scheme of things. For ages we've gone without such technology, which allowed us to use our emotional intelligence/intuition in times of need, not to mention asking for help, even from strangers, when we needed it.
If anyone else out there is sensitive to energy (or senses that they may be), a great book to read is "The Invisible Rainbow: A History of Electricity and Life". It may just change the way you relate to your phone and other forms of technology. That being said, moderation, as with anything, is the key to a balanced life lived online and offline.
I often do and magic happens-I spend more time looking up and around, absorbed in my neighbors-wildlife, plants, clouds and there are always surprises.
I sometimes carry my phone to help identify bird songs but accept no calls, emails, messages when walking this way.