Days 5, 6, 7: Get Ready for the Weekend!
Welcome back to the Phone Breakup Challenge – and congratulations on making it through your first 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!
First, I’d like you to identify some things you WANT to do with the time you’re reclaiming from your phone. In other words, what sounds fun?
Try answering these prompts – just jot down whatever comes to mind and, if you’re up for it, share some of your ideas in the comments. (Don’t be worried if you have a hard time thinking of anything at first – that’s surprisingly common!)
I’ve always loved to . . .
I’ve always wanted to . . .
When I was a kid, I was fascinated by . . .
If I had more time, I would like to . . .
If I could design the perfect weekend for myself, I would . . .
Bonus points if you DO one of these things this weekend!
2: Your second weekend assignment is your first big challenge: I want you to identify what your most problematic apps are and . . . delete them from your phone for the weekend (if not for the rest of the challenge!). If you’re like most people, your most problematic apps are probably social media, the news, and possibly email.
If you’re hesitating, hear me out: if you bothered to sign up for this breakup challenge, it means that you want to make a change. So do it! Delete your problem apps! If this leads to disaster, you can always reinstall them. (But also: it probably won’t.) Also – and this is important – you can still check them from your computer (or, if you must, your internet browser). We’re just trying to get rid of the APPS.
Tell us what you’ve deleted—and how you’re feeling—in the comments.
3. Once you’ve deleted your most problematic apps, you’re ready for your last assignment for the weekend, which is to get physical. Too often we act like we’re just brains sitting on top of bodies. So this weekend I’d like you to do at least one thing that gets you into your body. Go for a walk. Do a yoga class. Dance. What does it feel like to engage your physical body during the time you might otherwise have spent scrolling?
Jot down your observations for yourself – and consider sharing them in the comments. (I’ll be back myself on Monday!)
To scrolling less and living more,
Reminders:
This breakup will be more fun if we get to know each other. If you haven’t already, please take a moment to introduce yourself.
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!
Don’t forget to download and print the companion workbook. Visit this page on my site, add the workbook to your cart, and enter FEBPHONEBREAKUPWORKBOOK at checkout. (Please keep the code private.) After you submit your order, you should get a separate email with a download link.
Please make sure to find or order a standalone alarm clock – and start using it!
I’ll be asking you to join me in taking a full 24-hour break from your phone from 5pm on Friday, February 20th to 5pm on Saturday, February 21st. Please put this date in your calendar!
How to Leave a Comment/Join the Conversation
If you want to start a new thread/conversation, simply type your comment into the big white comment box below.
If you’re trying to respond to a previous commenter, or add a comment to a thread, simply tap the small “reply” circle on the top right of the post (if you’re on a computer, you may need to hover your mouse over the comment to get the “reply” option to show up) and reply in the thread. This will help keep our conversations organized.
You do not need to log in or create an account in order to comment. Simply enter your first name, ignore the other fields, and then submit the comment as a guest.
Catherine will be popping in once a day to read through and respond to your comments. You may also hear from other members of the team, Maryana and Laura, who are helping with logistics.