Digital Detox Reality Check

I tried to go a full day without checking my phone. Made it to lunch before the anxiety kicked in. Not because I was missing anything important, but because I'd forgotten how to be alone with my thoughts.

The first hour was easy. The second hour, I started noticing things - the way the light moved across my desk, the sound of my neighbor's dog barking in the distance, the texture of the coffee mug in my hands. By the third hour, I was genuinely uncomfortable. Not bored, but... untethered.

It's strange how we've become so dependent on constant stimulation. The phone isn't just a device anymore - it's a pacifier for our restless minds. Every notification is a hit of dopamine, every scroll a way to avoid the quiet moments that used to be filled with daydreams.

I lasted six hours before I caved and checked my messages. Nothing urgent, of course. Just the usual collection of memes, work updates, and the occasional meaningful conversation buried under the noise.

But those six hours taught me something important: I'm not as comfortable with silence as I used to be. And maybe that's something worth working on.

Tomorrow, I'll try for seven hours. Baby steps toward rediscovering the art of being present.