So, after the response I got from sharing the LONELINESS HAS MANY FACEBOOK FRIENDS blog post, written by the lovely Jay Keshani over at Walking Mums I have decided that enough is enough.
This post really hit home to me when I first read it, but it was pointed out to me by my 14 year old daughter that I ALWAYS have my phone in my hand. When she is talking to me, I am often scrolling through either facebook, twitter, wordpress. I am hearing the words she is saying, but in all honestly I can’t say I am listening. This realisation has made me very sad and the mummy guilt is IMMENSE!
So something needs to change. NOW. So as of tomorrow my phone is just that. A PHONE. Just a phone, nothing but a phone. The rules for this challenge are:
- When I am out, it will remain in my bag (NOT my pocket) and it will stay there, unless it rings or I need to make an actual phone call.
- I will check my text messages ONLY twice while out and put it straight back in my bag afterwards.
- Let significant others know that you are doing this challenge so that they wont get mardy with you for ‘ignoring’ them.
This might seem like a little thing to a lot of people, but for me this is really going to be a tough one. I am going to start with 1 week. Sunday to Sunday, and I will write a follow up then. I tend to use the excuse that I use the camera a lot, so have to keep the phone handy. However, as part of my ‘September Bucket List‘, I said that I would take my camera out with me more. So this will help with that too 🙂
I am hoping that by taking part in this challenge, I am removing the metaphoric guard that being engrossed in a phone puts up and that I learn something about how I am portraying myself to potential new friends, but I also hope that my children will gain something from having my full attention. Watch this space…..
Do you use your phone way too much? Do you not have a smartphone by choice for this reason? Do you have any advice on how I can be successful in this challenge? I would love to hear from you.
The Mummy Balancing Act 
I check my phone first thing in the morning and last thing at night – it’s glued to me! I forgot it one day at work and I was lost without it!
Claire
X
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I’m on it waaaay too much. I need it to lock me out at 9pm
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I love that you’re doing this! It’s so easy to get distracted whilst out by social media and it can be so hard to switch off. Good luck! x
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Thank you x
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This is such a good idea. I’ve found that if I take my actual camera out with me I’m less likely to look at my phone.
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I’m hoping it has a knock on affect like that x
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Wow! Good luck with that! I wouldnt do that in Milion years! No chance!!! haha
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I think this is great and I really need to get of mine… I am actually on it now. Eek! Good luck with this week!
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Thank you x
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It’s so hard to just switch off isn’t it. When I’m out now I do just leave my phone in my bag. But I’m terrible when I’m at home. x
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I hoping that not using it while I’m out doesn’t impact on my time at home too much.
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Great idea. I do this on random days, just to have a day off ! My phone is my phone and camera. I love having no wifi during the day, as, the phone just remains a phone.
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That’s a good idea. X
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This sounds like a great challenge. Wishing you the best of luck!
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Thank you x
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I am guilty of using my phone too much. I had to stop my blog e mails coming to my phone as I wanted to reply straight away and it was interfering with real life.
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That’s a problem I am having right now. Thinking that ‘office hours’ might have to be introduced
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Good luck on the challenge. I think I’m less addicted to my phone than some people as I think that phones are some kind of witchcraft but non the less they are totally addictive.
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Good luck. I check my phone a lot and have guilt too. I hope it helps you x
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Thank you. Me too x
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Im wishing you lots of luck with your challenge x
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Thank you x
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We’re all on our phones far too much so we have an hour phone free time each evening where we actually all sit down and talk. Good luck with your challenge.
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That’s a great idea. Thank you x
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What a great challenge, wonder if I can get my other half to try it – he seems more stuck to his phone than me lol x
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Thank you. Best of luck with that :p
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Good luck with your challenge it is something I desperately need to do in my life too and I am trying to wean myself off my phone!
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It’s pretty tough, but the positives are already outweighing the negatives for sure!
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I really admire you for doing this. It has really made me think about the fact my phone is constantly in my hands and my two year old pulls me up on it. Thing sauce got to change because I fear I am missing out on to much
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I’m only a day in and I admit today was tough. It’s needs to be done though x
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I think I should follow your footstep , sounds that this will take some courage and will power ! Lol I will keep looking out on how you get on x
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Thank you. So far so good x
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Really good challenge. I’m useless and would not be able to cope. I swear i’m obsessed with checking my emails x
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I am the same. I’m thinking I need to set ‘office hours’ to get my fix
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This is a great idea! Good luck with it! Since reading that post I have been thinking about my own phone habits and I can say that there are changes coming!
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Thank you. I am glad it’s gotten us all thinking. After one day it feels way more ‘possible’ than it did yesterday, so worth a shot x
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About the only thing I don’t do with my smartphone is make phone calls but I seem to use it constantly
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I’m the same. I never call anyone!
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I use my phone way too much as well but I am unsure I could complete the challenge… what if I miss something?
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but what are you missing by being glued to a phone? I’m seeing the positives after just a day 🙂
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Oh my goodness it’s like you have looked into my life and published my darkest secret!! This is me!! Can I join you on this? I NEED to step away from my social media addiction and engage more in REAL interactions!! This will be a huge challenge but I think the rewards could be even better!!
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Of course you can join in! I would love to see how you get on with it. x
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Good luck this week, I might mention this to my 15 year old son who is never off his!
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hehehe good luck with that 🙂
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A great challenge, I wish you luck with it 🙂
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Thank you x
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I think we are all guilty of this to an extent! I am terrible for it when I go for meals with friends/family.
Kacie – The Rare Welsh Bit
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Some of my friends have a deal. When all out together for meals and such, the first one to check their phone pays the bill 🙂 Sounds like an incentive not to 🙂
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I use my phone too much but I’m not sure I could not check my emails…
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Oh I do check them, just later in the day at an allotted time. 🙂
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I try not to use mine for social media when I’m out with N – it helps that mostly there’s no phone signal, so even uploading to instagram needs to wait until I’m home with wifi. But I’m more often on the computer all the time than the phone at home. Good luck with your challenge.
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Great challenge! We’re all so used to beig clued to phones for security or entertainment I think most of us feel genuinely lost without them!
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Ooh not sure if my comment stuck but I think so many of us are afraid to be without phones – for security or entertainment – they’re part of us! I’m going to try your challenge today and see how that works out…
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Best of luck. I understand that being without a phone is scary. That’s why I’ll have it with me, but just safe in my bag 🙂
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Good luck! I’m glued to my phone, my fiance is in the us army so it’s the only way we get to talk to each other. I often lament being able to put it down and ignore it for a few hours because I do find myself wasting hours scrolling through my newsfeed
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I can totally understand that. I’d be near my phone too in that situation. It’s the mindless scrolling that I need to stop too x
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I couldn’t do this. I need my phone, I know that sounds wrong but I have mental health issues meaning face to face friendships are very hard for me. Without a smartphone I would struggle with how lonely I’d become.
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I can understand that completely. I used to be the same way. It’s taken a long time to get to the position I am in now, and I still have a long way to go. x
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I Was alrightish until getting ill, it became a lifeline. My way to get help fast if I collapsed again. Now I am bad enough to have “infomania”.
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I’m sorry to hear that Hun. We all cope in different ways. Do what feels right with you x
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