Days 26, 27, and 28: Consider a Regular Digital Sabbath
Welcome back to the Phone Breakup Challenge – and congratulations on making it through your fourth week!
Today’s email is a little different because we’re going to combine three days’ worth of assignments into one. Why? Because I don’t want you to have to check your email over the weekend!
Here’s what I’d like you to think about and experiment with:
Consider doing another Digital Sabbath – not only is it a wonderful way to introduce calm (and fun) to your weekend, but taking a regular break can also inoculate you against the siren song of your screens during the rest of the week, too.
If 24 hours is too much, try experimenting with making your weekend mornings or evenings phone-free. (Regardless of how long you take a break, here’s that guide I put together with tips for how to prepare.)
Speaking of tips, here’s a tip that helps me manage my own desire to check my phone. When I notice myself reaching for my phone on autopilot, I ask myself, “What’s the best thing that will happen as a result of me checking my phone right now? What’s the worst thing that could happen?” For me, considering the worst result (for example: getting sucked out of the moment and becoming stressed out about something out of my control) is enough to convince me not to check my phone.
Also, please be sure to make time this weekend to do something fun and/or nourishing for yourself. The more fun you’re having in real life (and the more nourished you feel), the less you’re going to want to spend your free time on screens.
Tell us what you’re doing, trying, or thinking about in the comments!
To scrolling less, living more, and deciding how to RSVP,
PS:
As always, you can ask me and your fellow participants questions—and share observations and insights with each other— by leaving a comment.
You can also send me questions privately simply by responding to your daily email, but I encourage you to engage with the community; you may be surprised to discover that other people are struggling with the same thing!
If you leave a comment on the blog, please be sure to check back — I read through every comment, and try to respond to each one! (And other people often chime in, too.)
If you’re really into the Digital Sabbath idea (or didn’t get to try it with our group and wish you could have a redo), a heads up that the Global Day of Unplugging is next week, from Friday, March 6th till Saturday, March 7th. It’s an opportunity to take a 24-hour break from your screens with other people all around the world!
I suspected that taking a 24-hour break would have a positive impact, but I did not realize how quickly it would transform my life. It's just that, when you're sitting around doing nothing, you start to think about what you want to do with all your newfound time. I decided I wanted to spend more time outdoors. And deepen my spiritual practice. And spend more time being present with my family.
It started with playing games together and going for walks, but then I realized it could be so much more. So I got up the courage on Sunday to attend a Zen temple service, something I haven't done in over twenty years. Being inside that sacred space away from the rest of the world was immediate and profound, and I cannot WAIT to go back. . . .
Then after temple I ate lunch with my family and then we went for a walk in the park. I had so much fun playing with my son. I told my husband, we have to go hiking regularly as a family, and he agreed. I realized it's been years, decades maybe, since I've really, truly rested. . . . And it doesn't stop there. Today we decided to reserve a community garden space this summer and grow some vegetables! I have zero gardening experience, but I want my son to have that experience. So we are going to learn how to do it as a family. And all that is the result of just three Sundays without screens. — Christy
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