So, I tried something a little different lately. Felt like my brain was buzzing all the time, you know? Like a fridge that won’t stop humming. Too much noise, mostly from the phone, the computer, just… everywhere. Decided I needed to find some quiet, real quiet.
Setting Things Up
The plan was simple enough. A whole weekend. Cut off the constant stream of updates, notifications, news feeds, the whole lot. Didn’t go full caveman, kept the phone on for actual calls from family, just in case. But everything else? Off. Notifications silenced. Social media apps logged out. News sites blocked, mentally anyway.
Getting Started – Day One
Okay, waking up Saturday, first thing I did? Reached for the phone. Habit. Had to physically stop my hand. Felt really strange. I actually got up and put the phone in the kitchen drawer. Out of sight, hopefully out of mind.
Tried to read a book. A real paper one. Felt my attention span was shot. Kept wondering what was happening on Twitter, if I’d missed some important email. It was kind of pathetic, really. Fidgety.
Later, went for a walk. Left the earbuds at home. Just walked. Heard birds. Saw some weird graffiti I’d never noticed before. It was… okay. But the urge to just check something was massive. Like a phantom limb itch. Cooked dinner without looking up recipes halfway through or checking messages. Took longer. Felt more present, I guess.
Finding a Rhythm – Day Two
Sunday was a bit easier. Woke up, didn’t immediately think about the phone. Small win. Did some stuff around the house, tidied up the garden a bit. Felt good to do something physical, tangible.
Managed to read for a solid hour without feeling that pull. Concentration definitely improved. Had a proper chat with my wife over lunch. No screens involved. Revolutionary, I know.
By the afternoon, things felt calmer. Less frantic energy inside. But there was still this nagging feeling, like being slightly out of sync with the world. Pushed it down. Watched a movie in the evening, just watched it. Didn’t look up actors or trivia halfway through.
What Came Out Of It
Come Monday morning, switched the phone back to normal. Wow. The flood of notifications, emails, alerts… it was overwhelming. Made me realize just how much constant crap I was letting into my head every single day without even thinking about it.
The silence was weird at first, definitely uncomfortable. Showed me how hooked I was. It wasn’t relaxing initially, more like withdrawal. But pushing through that? Found a bit of space. Mental space.
It’s not like I’m going off the grid forever now. But I’m definitely gonna be more deliberate about it. Schedule some quiet time. Turn off the noise more often. Maybe not full weekends all the time, but an evening here, a morning there.
Reminds me of when I tried to quit caffeine cold turkey back in my old job. Man, that place was a pressure cooker. I was mainlining coffee, easily six, seven cups a day, just to keep my eyes open and pretend I was functioning. Thought I was being super productive. In reality, I was just a jittery mess, couldn’t sleep, anxious all the time.
So, one day I just decided, “No more coffee. Done.” Terrible idea. By lunchtime, my head felt like it was clamped in a vise. Couldn’t string a thought together. Got angry at someone for asking a simple question. It was bad. Realized you can’t always just rip the band-aid off with stuff like that. It’s the same with this digital noise. It’s woven into everything. Cutting it out completely feels wrong, jarring. You gotta ease into it, find ways to reduce the dependency, manage the flow. It’s about building better habits, not just flipping a switch off and hoping for the best. Still working on it, obviously.
