Since having a daughter a little over a year ago, I've learned quite a bit. Both about raising a little animal which runs around my house, but also what it means to be a human animal myself. I've grown increasingly negative (ok, I've been a hater, Matty Knucks will call me a luddite) towards technology. This started before having a kid, but it has fired up tenfold since having to navigate what my personal time looks like now.
I'm a pretty routine driven person, a creature of habit, and loving the modelmaking/miniature painting hobby, I made sure that that time was protected for me. After my family all snuggles up for the night, I slink away to my dungeon and chew at whatever project I'm working on for an hour or so before turning in myself.
Aside from that peaceful hour, I have been feeling more and more like I spend the rest of my day racing. One thing to the next. Emotions always running high, and when I do hit a bump in the road, I become overwhelmed. I'm topped out - how could I possibly fit fixing the washing machine into my already packed-up schedule.
Now, like I said, I already knew this little box in my pocket where all my friends are (to borrow a phrase from my friend Brad @bitsbiborks) was a huge timesuck. So I did some of the work of breaking away from it. I put a limit on my discord time, and only my wife knows the password, and I'd feel defeated asking her for more time. I've deleted the Instagram app after years of trying to find a healthy way to use it (I still have my account just in case I want to go back!! It's tendrils lie dormant within me!). However I still feel like - even with those apps stifled - I end up on some stupid shit like youtube shorts or pinterest, being pummeled with ads and bullshit "hacks." I look up from my phone and 10 minutes have passed and I feel braindead, more overwhelmed and no better for it. I'm so attached, I am constantly responding to people, checking emails, the weather, my bank, whatever - and for what? To fill my already limited minutes?
That's when I got the beautifully stupid simple idea of just turning it off. When I don't need it, why even have it on? I have an iphone - and this stupid thing takes like 15 seconds to boot up, then all my messaged and apps have to load back up, which is enough time for me to say "eh, it's not worth it" to check how old Danny DeVito is, what day daylight savings is, how is Bam Margera doing or see if it's going to rain later. This last week I've been doing this whenever I don't need my phone. My wife has my work number if there's an actual emergency, so I'm not too worried about some catastrophe happening.
I've gotta say - the world has really opened up. It's too annoying to boot this shit back up so instead I just either do some task/chore I have to do, or I just look at stuff like we did when we were kids. Seems so dumb, but I just putt around and find something to do. I have my sketchbook, I think about what I'm doing in the workshop, I go find someone at work to bug, whatever - but I don't close off to the world like I used to do with my screen. I feel less overwhelmed and braindead, and I can focus (kinda haha). I know what I have to do, I have no reason not to do it, and it's more appealing with out the allure of this dopamine mine in my pocket
If you feel up to it, just try it, even for a half hour. See how many dumbass reasons you pickup your phone only to realize that it is not only unneeded information/action - but that this would probably lead you to being in a phone-hole looking up the economic state of Egypt in the 1890's, with nothing to do with this information other than to promptly forget it when you pull yourself away from screenville.
You may not be "more productive" (which is another trap I won't touch), but you might find that maybe you can breathe a little bit and that the red cardinal that just flew into the bush looks awful bright against all this damn snow you've been cursing on about.
xoxox