Unfortunately, last week I took a trip back to the mid-2000's after my iPhone took a little dip in the water. Long story short, it was fried and I needed a phone until I was eligible for a new one this August. The only one I had available at a moment's notice was an old school LG EnV Touch; throwback to middle school, am I right?

Now this phone wasn't terrible by any means, but it didn't have any of the capabilities that smartphones do. While social media, email, and calendar apps are fun and bring a whole new level of convenience to everyday life, I never realized how much I rely on them until I didn't have them at my fingertips. I'm beyond embarrassed to say that I was ridiculously stressed for the five days I wasn't able to immediately get my emails and have my schedule readily available. I've grown so accustomed to being able to send and receive messages instantly that not being able to do that was quite the change. I am constantly replying to group messages and emails while updating and checking my calendar to plan for what's ahead. I am so used to planning for the future and looking ahead that I forget to just think about the present.

I feel like a parent or grandparent saying this, but after I realized how much I was relying on my phone, I realized that we need to take a step back from technology. A few small changes to make ourselves less dependent on our phones might help us to be more active in the present and less worried about what will happen in the future.

Since getting my new iPhone (thank goodness), I am beyond grateful to have everything I need back at my fingertips; however, I am making a few changes. I'm not getting emails pushed through to my phone immediately nor am I replying to most of them outside of what is considered "regular business hours." I turned off all of my push notifications for social media so I am not constantly getting updates about what everyone is doing. And honestly, while it's hard not to be 100% plugged in all the time, it's strangely liberating.

I'm hoping that taking this step back and using my phone less will make me less dependent on technology and constant connectivity to the world around me. I want to enjoy the world around me and be present in the moment, and I challenge you to do the same.