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I Turned My Phone Off For 1-Week

I Turned Off My Phone For 1 Week — Here's Why I'd Highly Recommend It

I Turned My Phone Off For 1-Week
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Sisilia Piring

I've had a cell phone since I was 11. I know — let that sink in for a second. Post 9/11, my parents wanted to make sure my brother and I had a way to get in touch with them in case of emergencies, so for the past decade and a half, I've had a phone essentially super glued to my left hand. In essence, I've been conditioned.

This past year, I hit my threshold of feeling overwhelmed. I was so tuned in to everything around me and around the world 24/7, responding to everyone within seconds, constantly available . . . that I forgot to tune into what I needed. As such, stress levels contributed to atrocious mental health, chronic illness, and a destroyed immune system.

I needed to do a hard reset, and not on my phone — on my life.

The reset started with clearing my calendar, finding a place to chill out and rest, and then digitally detoxing. Phase one: move apps like Instagram to new folders on my phone and put new apps in their former places to see how often I was mindlessly opening them. Phase two: delete social media apps temporarily. Phase three: no tech for one week. GASP! I know. Here's what went down. (Note: this also went down on a week I was not at work — truly tech-free!)

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