It was a warm day, wearing comfortable cotton clothes, my favorite trekking shoes, a straw hat, a bottle of water in my bag, with my camera in my hands. Did I miss out something? Guess… my phone? Yes and no! I didn’t have my phone in my bag (what??), but rather left it at home on purpose!!!
Leaving my phone behind (for once) was a deliberate choice, although reluctant at first, I finally appreciated having done so. The journey on foot was marvelous, the view spectacular, chatting with my friends and fellow hikers on the same trip was enriching, breathing pure fresh air, and singing songs known to most of us, if not all. That reminded me of the simple yet pure joys of life, and although I did have the temptation to check my screen twice or thrice during the 2 hour journey, not having my phone with me was a real ‘break’!
When we had already walked for 1 hour, we sat down for a sip of water, and that was when I took this photo, that you can see. I even had the time to get to know new people, having been acquainted face-to-face. I remembered that for weeks, my new connections had essentially been ‘just virtual’. While I took some time for meditation, I completely forgot about my phone!
At the end of this special outing experience, I took my car, and headed back home. Once at my destination, I had a shower and sat down with family for dinner, telling them about the day’s adventure. I didn’t miss pointing out how ‘eluding screen addiction’ to enjoy these moments, was something I was thankful for, and that I plan to take similar breaks regularly and religiously. It was not until the next morning after breakfast, that I had a look at my new emails.
Do you feel that you miss out on special moments, while remaining glued to your phone? Do you make the most of professional meetings, without undue distractions from checking your screen? If so, could you please share with us how? I invite you to comment below. Remain tuned for my next blog post, for more on this very topic!
Featured photo: Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com
Tips from Sharvi 