Unplugging from my phone and social media for an entire day was a challenging yet new experience. Initially, I felt like I would not be able to complete the challenge because, knowing myself, I couldn't use something that has become such a vital part of my daily life. It wasn't easy at first, and as the day passed, It's been a rollercoaster. It was tough, but I felt terrific as it progressed to the end of the day.

First thing in the morning, I woke up and immediately checked my phone to see if my friend or family had texted me. Still, I got a notification saying that I had to challenge myself not to touch my phone for the entire day, and I used a focus mode in my phone to mute all notifications. Luckily I didn't break the rule, but the urge to do so was strong throughout the day; as keep touching my phone when I put it near the charger, but I kept it under my bed so I did not use it for the rest of the day.

Without my phone and social media, I found new ways to spend time using old dog tricks, such as reading a book. I can read my book longer than an hour without concentration taking breaks by looking at youtube or using Tiktok and taking a walk near my neighborhood. This experience made me realize how dependent I had become on my phone and social media for entertainment and how much time they consumed.

One of the most challenging things is cooking without using my phone. Usually, for lunch or dinner, I look up a recipe for what to cook or recommendations and even Doordash, but this time I can't do anything about it, even the urge to say, "it's just for a recipe you are not breaking any rule" haunt me in the back of my mind. With that in mind, I just went from a simple traditional food that my grandma taught me when I was a kid.

As it approached nightfall, I began doing my assignment. I was urged to listen to music and have youtube on the side. These habits built over time, and I have difficulty resisting this. Still, I put an enormous amount of text on my whiteboard to motivate and remind me not to have youtube or Spotify playing in the background but instead maintain focus on studying or finishing homework.

The next day felt terrific. I was reunited with my devices, and I could watch youtube, Snapchat and even BeReal. I felt like a kid who got a birthday present for the first time again, but genuinely this is refreshing to see and act upon once again; I have done social media but never phone, and I am willing to do this again when the time comes.

But overall, this experience gave a new insight as to why we use our phones not only to distract ourselves but also to connect; as I went home from the gym, I just realized how much people use their phones after each set or need music in their workout, or even at the bus how they need to use their phone otherwise they will get bored inside the bus but this lesson thought to be able to connect with myself and help me to be able to concentrate better without getting distracted easily by phones or notifications, truly experience life without gadgets.