So last week my Samsung S5 went out on me. For the past few months the screen had been changing colors and I would usually tweak it a little here and there to fix it but it finally decided to go forever. Of course, I felt like I couldn't be without a phone but when I learned that it was over 100 bucks to replace it, I had to rethink my options. While I decided to wait to save up some money to replace it, I ended up using one of my old phones, one that is definitely not a smartphone. The only thing I am capable of doing is calling and texting. Now, of course, I thought I'd be okay for a few days and I found that I actually am. Does it suck that I can't check Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest? You bet it does. Is it the worst thing in this world? Nope. Do not get me wrong, there are moments where I physically find myself itching to check my phone for the latest trend or news on social media. I've actually even noticed how many times a day, no, an hour, I reach to my pocket for my phone to check it. Now that I'm out of a smartphone I start to think to myself, what am I checking for exactly and why am I doing it so often?

Well, every morning I would check the weather and how far away the bus is from my stop. Now those two may seem very important but when you stop to think about it, how can you check these two without the convenient use of your phone? Since I had to explore these options, I found myself actually going downstairs to the living room and turning on the television to see what the news had to say about the weather. May not seem like a big deal, having to turn on the television to check the weather, right? It's not, but it wasn't that it was such a simple task, it was more of what I gained by having to go downstairs. First, I had to interact with my dad, who knows I'm not a morning person but he always manages to lift my spirits somehow. Second, I had time to grab a quick breakfast, even if it was a banana; I usually skip breakfast. Finally, I allowed myself to feel like I wasn't in such a rush, like I am most mornings.On the other hand, the bus was something I had to rely mostly on my luck with time. Yet, my mornings began to change, little by little. They felt more relaxed, fulfilled even. My stomach was full and I started to feel like maybe I was a morning person and that is whats been setting my tone for the rest of the day.

Certain habits have even begun to change, not too drastically, but I can feel a difference. For example, when I would get ready for bed, I would set my alarm on my phone, brush my teeth and then get in bed to stay on my phone for another hour or so. Now, I do quite the same except I stay in bed and just go to sleep. I've been getting extra sleep because I do not have access to social media before bed. I am so accustomed to it though that when I wake up, the first thing I grab is the old phone, even if I know I can't really check much on it. Let's say I can't go to sleep right away, then I get to catch up on some of my reading; something that I always want to do but I get lazy or stay busy on my phone.

What I've mostly gained out of this experience is the time to think. Instead of filling my time by checking social media, I've given more room to my mind. I've been able to reflect more, not just on my habits that have come to encircle the use of my phone but everything else too. Having more time to reflect has allowed me to concentrate on more of my priorities: school, my health, and my writing. So if you take anything away from this, let it be that you should just be aware of how much you're checking your phone. Once you're aware, you can start to disconnect more easily and you'll feel a difference, a good difference.