I washed my phone the other day, and no amount of trying to dry it out was going to save it. Long story short, I ended up going without a phone for two weeks.
Losing my phone felt more like losing my arm. There was this loss of ability to contact family or friends, a loss of unlimited internet in my pocket, and a resounding return of something I had forgotten about: boredom. To counteract this boredom, I filled my time with hobbies and other enjoyable activities around the house, but then felt an unexpected sense of guilt. I felt I should be more accessible to my friends and I should work on more productive things. I know I’m not alone in this. Priceline put out a recent work-life balance study reporting that we feel guilty even thinking of taking time away. Most of us oppose the idea of spending time alone with nothing to do. In fact, it feels wasteful to us.
Time away from my phone was an invitation to rest, but I found myself unable to enjoy it.