Over Christmas break, my family and I took a cruise to Mexico and with that came the option to either pay for WiFi on the ship or go without it. I chose to go without it and even challenged myself to leave my phone in the room unless I wanted to take pictures. To be honest, I didn’t do that often because I was too busy enjoying the views firsthand and, although going a week without your phone might sound like a nightmare to some, I found that I really appreciated my time away. It was very nice to unplug and not always feel like I needed to be talking to someone, which for me, can get exhausting.
I feel like nowadays you are expected to know what’s going on in everyone else’s lives and get judged by how many notifications you have on your screen or how many people you are talking to at once. Let me tell you, this experience taught me the good side of ignorance is bliss. It was very relaxing just being in the now and enjoying my vacation in the sun with my family instead of constantly checking my phone.
After going a week without my phone, I want to challenge myself to do it more often in 2020. I want to try to take some nights off and read instead, or take a day off here and there just to give myself a chance to relax and enjoy what’s happening around me.
My hope is that by doing this, it will help me refocus on what’s important like school, work and my mental health. I can take more time doing the things I love without having to worry about what everyone else is doing, which is one of my new goals for 2020.
Best of luck on all your 2020 resolutions!