2 Years without smartphone - How did I manage/thrive?

September 22, 2022 I replaced my smartphone with a Nokia

- one of those 'call & text only' models.

It started out as an experiment. And for the first few weeks, I really hated it.

Once I got through that, it took another 3 months to get used to it. I had to really let go

of the addictiveness of the smartphone.

At the same time, it was fun to get out of my comfort zone and discover how I could do things differently. I do like to try out things.

It wasn't a very impulsive decision. When the Nokia came, I had been deleting apps for 6 months. Seeing how far I could get with alternative ways of doing things.

It's two years on now and I can say, I don't want to change back.

Curious what this life style choice offers me?

1. Less contact - More connection

The fear of losing 'connection' with the people around me was the biggest barrier for me in letting go of the smartphone. And it did happen, at first I lost connections. Because if people can no longer app you, as in Whatsapp, Signal or Telegram, keeping in touch turns out to be difficult. A quick “Hi, how are you?” is no longer send. For some reason, most people don't like to use the Messages app, which is the place where you can still stay in touch to send and receive text messages (sms).

But the fear of being disconnected turned out to be a beautiful paradox. After all, we don't lose friends or good (work) relationships because we no longer have a smartphone. At least I didn't. Good relationships will adapt and move with change.

My life is more conscious now, communications happen with more attention and awareness. I love having to make just a little more effort to connect with the people I care about. It keeps me sharp in my relationships. And it also keeps the other person active in the relationship. The communication I have with friends and acquaintances over the phone is shorter, but always to the point, and therefore even more connected. I enjoy it.

2. More rest - Not less pressure

I heard Richard Rudd (yes, the guy from the Gene Keys) say the other day:

“If you really want to be rebellious in life: Slow down!”

I thought that one was so poignant. Slowing down automatically brings us more deeply in touch with ourselves and with life. With that, Richard nicely sums up in one sentence how I experience life without a smartphone: slower and also somewhat rebellious. But still connected. I experience more moments of rest, but my life is not less busy. I still have periods when everything comes at once and the pressure is high. And in those periods, the moments between the peaks have a much better quality. They are not filled up anymore.

So I recharge better.

3. Day-start with presence

Every morning I choose to be phone-less. Getting up with being very present and not distracting myself. I have a routine where I first crack open a window and gaze at the clouds an trees for 5 minutes. Taking in the first light of day feels wonderful. Starting my day with natural light is a conscious choice, it gives my body the information it needs to activate the right hormones. It comes from “circadian biology” a science that brings us to our natural rhythm, something I find very fascinating.

Then I journal briefly, answering 2 questions I asked myself the night before. Then I make time for yoga, meditation and/or breathing exercises. When the cats have been fed, I get dressed and start my work day. All this time, I haven't touched a phone.

“So what wakes you up in the morning?” Someone asked me the other day. On most days, I wake up without an alarm. Because I start each day with natural daylight, my body has found its circadian/biological rhythm. So I don't need an alarm clock.

On days when I have an earlier appointment, I use an old-fashioned alarm clock on my nightstand. Because I leave my phone downstairs at night.

4. Waiting & being bored

Even when I have to wait somewhere, it is in the old-fashioned way and without entertainment. Like at the train station to pick up one of my children, at a location for a business appointment, in the waiting room at the dentist, or traveling on the bus. There are no distractions, so all I can do is look around.

It is very natural to have several moments in a day when we can't do anything for a while. They are part of the flow of life and they bring natural breaks. Not looking at a phone during those moments brings a sense of slowing down and peace.

Sometimes I get bored, but I know those moments are very healthy.

Usually I pick a nice spot and look at the sky, the buildings, the pigeons in the city, the people walking by, hear the sounds around me, smell the smells. Some people like it when I am present and in peace and they respond to it. They come over to say hello, children like to chat or want to show something. And if I am quiet and present long enough, even animals and birds like to connect.

Being present with real attention and awareness, brings surprisingly nice moments!

5. Staying with my body

Being less occupied with my phone also gives more space to stay in my body.

A great time is of course on the toilet 😅. We can take our phones with us, but then we are not with our bodies. I like to have my attention on my belly and pelvis. Constipation is a natural process and, like menstruation for a woman, it gives information on how you are doing. It is nice to stay connected with your body at those very moments and not distract yourself.

Besides, I am convinced that all the radiation around us is not very healthy either. We can't live without it. But we can reduce it and burden our bodies less with it. Therefore, I can strongly advise against wearing a smartphone on your body. If it has to go everywhere with you, take it out of your pocket and put it in a bag that you don't wear on your body. Wireless earphones is another one of those things. Just don't do it. Is really not good for your brain.

If you want to dive deep into the effects of radiation, the bioinitiative report might be for you. It is a report on the relationship between the electromagnetic fields associated with powerlines and wireless devices and health. It has a lot of information from scientific studies.

6. Completely device-less

Of course, I am not completely device-less. That would be something. It's not the world we live in. Nor do I have that need. I do have set times when I use devices. And ways to reduce the effects of radiation.

But of course I also just like to participate. I have my dumbphone, my Nokia, for calling and messaging. A first-generation iPod, with which I create local playlists, listen to music in the car, or sometimes do a guided meditation. And, of course, my laptop, which gives me access to the online world, to social media and allows me to work.

And I have to honestly confess, in addition, since this spring, I also have my daughter's old iPhone. So I am no longer completely smartphone-free. When I got it I thought for a moment “Shall I activate it with my number and put my Nokia in the closet? But no, I honestly don't have to think about it. I like to stick with the dumbphone and only use the iPhone when I want to make short videos. That happens about once a week. I don't use the iPhone for other functions, so the rest of the time it's off and in the faraday bag.

7. The invitation

It was good to receive my daughter's iPhone. Because it made it very clear to me that I don't want to give up my current lifestyle, to develop the dependence on the smartphone again, including the tendency to want to look at it all the time.

Life feels pretty free without it.

Smartphones are made to grab and hold our attention, here's a great piece on that from an interview with Gabor Maté, who argues that smartphones are addictive and are designed that way.

I love having to make just a little more effort to connect with the people I care about. It keeps me on my toes in my relationships.

And honestly, the dumbphone, the Nokia, is so boring (yes really !!!)... not much happens on it. So it is just not in my awareness during the day. Sometimes people call, occasionally I get some text messages and that's it. And when I get messages, they are valuable.

For me, the biggest advantage of not using a smartphone is that it invites me to just live, to stay in the here & now. In my natural rhythm. That's what makes me happy.