I pulled the plug
Context: I’ve been out of Whatsapp and Instagram for more than two weeks now. The experience has been therapeutic and I thought I’d write about it.
On the night of Friday the 19th, I decided to the unthinkable.
“I will not use WhatsApp and Instagram tomorrow,” I said to myself abruptly closing both applications after a week of relatively higher use. Twenty Four Hours is definitely doable I concluded given my previous experiments in this regard.
“Why in the world would you do such a thing?” echoed questions I’ve been previously asked.
To a degree that is a fair question from a different stand point but it is a decision I do not look back on.
Why though? It’s because I was sick of all the noise. Every time I look at these apps my mind is racing to different decisions.
Sees a post of Japan - Mind: You should go to Japan
Sees a post of running - Mind: You should run tomorrow
Sees a post of a product - Mind: Remember that camera you wanted to buy?
Now don’t get me wrong. I love being connected with friends, especially now, but I like slowing down from time to time. I think we all need to slow down. We’re walking on one lane and look at another. I wanted to disconnect to reconnect.
I was quite enthusiastic as I woke up the following day. I suited up for a swim and played my favorite music. This wasn’t going to be a ‘Dopamine Detox’. I needed time for myself so I decided to revisit all my experiences both productive and leisurely in nature. At no point would I look at my phone apart from playing music or using Forest.
The silence in my head was welcomed with open arms. As the day went on I’d consciously ask “What do I do next?”. Normally I’d spend an hour catching up on messages or memes and time would fly without even knowing. No Instagram also meant no ‘Story’. No story meant no hooks from ‘Stories’. No hooks meant no distractions.
“Is it really this simple?” I thought to myself. I wasn’t sure at that point but I wasn’t complaining.
The activities which ensued had a newfound sense of awareness. Even something as simple as watching Netflix. My Sunday followed a similar route and this has become a norm for my weekends now.
I didn’t originally plan to detox for two days but this newfound silence was so addictive I wanted more of it. I kept up to date with events by going to relevant sources. I wasn’t going to miss the Bahrain GP or anything of the sort.
I think it’s important that a detox doesn’t start with complete deprivation. A diet shouldn’t start with “no sugar, no carbs” or whatever’s trending as a diet these days. You don’t attempt your first meditation for 30 minutes.
The experience of doing daily activities slowly, step by step, without being pulled away by notifications is something we’ve forgotten.
There are a lot of takeaways from me. For starters, I still haven’t used either application (as of April 1).
I encourage you to try this out. If you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed or want a change of pace lock your phone away. Mute notifications or delete apps, whatever works for you.
Watch a movie, listen to your favorite album, clean your room, make some coffee?
We don’t want to be mindless scrollers but it is what it is.
You can start by enjoying the moment. Sounds cliched but it’s true and you’ll love yourself for it.
I’ve recently added a new section called Digital Awareness where I’ve mentioned my personal resources for mindfulness and a more focus oriented lifestyle. I’ll be adding things in due time.
Thank you for reading. Much Love, Rainar.