If you grew up without a cell phone, do you remember how Sundays felt like during high school?
I would sleep in, have a long breakfast, and didn’t feel like doing schoolwork at all. There was not much on TV and with my parents around, it wasn’t fun watching television anyways, or it was occupied by my father watching sports. (I didn’t have a TV in my room until I was 17.) So I would take naps, hang out in my room, read, and write. I don’t remember meeting my friends much on Sundays.
Nowadays I think with nostalgia about those days. It was quiet, I was often alone, by myself, but not lonely, because I liked hanging out with myself.
In my own family, I recently established Analog Day or Computerfreier Tag. I believe my kids are one of the very few, who actually know what analog means. It’s wonderful. We don’t turn on any digital devices, and I suddenly have so much time during the day, I get all my chores done, and then some more. Most importantly, I am fully present with my children. During the week, I often just go to my computer to do some work emails real quick or check for some product that I think I might need in the spur of the moment, or I check a shipment’s tracking information, or Instagram, or my texts. Then I remember I haven’t looked on eBay for new German typewriters in a while, and all of a sudden the day is over. It’s so sad but true, and very embarrassing, but unfortunately also normal nowadays. To be honest, I am very ashamed of myself for doing this.
I don’t have a lot of New Year’s resolutions, but being more mindful and more present with the people I love, is the one I am the most serious about. And digital detoxing and limiting or even getting off social media is THE way to go.
Consequently, I deleted the email app from my phone and sometimes will put my laptop away. Instead of YouTube videos, I try to read or listen to podcasts. Even that makes an enormous difference.
And finally, I can experience this pleasantly bored feeling again, which I remember so fondly from being a teenager. I am with myself without all the extra noises in my head. When my kids are playing peacefully, and I am done with the main chores, and I don’t feel like reading, or writing manually, I just do those things that have been on my list for a long time, e.g. mending clothes, fixing toys, or cleaning uncommon areas. And suddenly I am pleasantly reminded of my grandma, no wonder she was so productive in real life.