Over Spring Break, one of my teachers challenged our class to go without technology for a whole day for extra credit. At first, I thought that I would just write the reflection to get the extra credit without actually trying to go without my phone because there was no way I could go a whole day without electronics. But, once I thought about it more I figured that I might as well try.

Thankfully, I was on vacation with my mom so it would be easier to not use my phone. To my surprise, I actually lasted the whole 24 hours and enjoyed it somewhat. The beginning of the day was the hardest because I usually go on my phone immediately when I wake up. The temptation to check my snapchat and Instagram was great at the beginning, but soon it subsided.

I found that as the day went on, I slowly stopped caring about what snapchats I wasn't responding to or what Instagram posts I was missing and started becoming more aware of what was going on around me.

I found that the conversations with my mom became more meaningful when both of us were not distracted by our cell phones. In some ways, I felt lighter without the weight of constant notifcations going off on my phone.

That day, I was more present and aware of my surroudings. I was also forced to sit alone with thoughts that I would usually distract myself from. This allowed me to refocus my energy and become more aware of my feelings that I usually push away by a scrolling through Pinterest or Twitter.

I now find myself logging out of snapchat and Instagram for a couple of hours just to refocus myself. I had been so involved in my phone that I didn't realize all the things I was missing.

I would highly recommend trying to go at least cell phone free. It truly changed my perspective on how much I should be using my phone.