Funny thing about time: sometimes when I observe it I see a mere a social construct. But lately I’ve been noticing that It really is a thing that exists.

I think this is the biggest takeaway I have learned on this 30 day phone fast, which is over as of today.

I’m  proud of myself for for sticking with this for 30 days. I feel good. I can actually leave my house without my phone and not have a panic attack. That feeling of freedom is amazing. Last weekend I turned off technology for 24 hours and actually went for a hike with my pinhole cameras two days in a row without my phone. I actually left it in my house and drove 30 miles away from it. And I didn’t spontaneously combust. I will admit to a moment of panic when I was separated from my husband and realized I had no way to contact him – I couldn’t text him. That was an interesting moment. We found each other and it all worked out, BTW. And I used The Force for my pinhole camera exposures.

I have loved having extra time in my day.  I’m not sure if I was especially productive with that time, but I did do a lot of reading, as well as some other creative things. I meditated more. I went for walks. I did some decluttering of my home. I listened to music.

Being away from my phone has allowed me to appreciate it. That moment when I was separated from my husband last weekend magnified my appreciation. I love being able to text when I need to (I also love being able to disconnect myself from texting when I need to). I missed the connection over photography I had with Instagram. I was visiting IG on my internet browser but the web version of IG lacks many of the features of the phone version. It was like standing on the other side of a glass wall and watching my friends without being able to interact.

I feel like I will need to be very diligent about my phone stealing my time away again. I have realized that my time is a precious jewel and I want to guard it. I think the key is to use my phone in a mindful way.