She Strengthens

Simplifying My Life: A Journey to Reclaim My Time

As I continue to strive for a more intentional and simplified life, I recently embarked on the Bored and Brilliant Challenge, inspired by the podcast series and book of the same name. This six-day challenge aimed to help me reassess and rebalance my relationship with technology, particularly my phone.

The Power of Technology

I’m well aware of how our phones can fundamentally alter our brains and daily lives. The book, which I highly recommend, presents compelling data from scientific studies worldwide. Some key takeaways that resonated with me include:

• Social media’s constant scrolling has decreased our ability to engage with long-form content, such as books.
• Taking photos reduces our brain’s ability to remember the actual moment.
• Printed paper content is better for memory retention than digital e-book content.
• Hand-written notes are easier to retain and recall than digital memos.
• Having your phone present, even face down, reduces meaningful engagement and empathy with others.

The Bored and Brilliant Challenge

Each day, I tackled a new challenge activity designed to help me rethink my phone usage. The daily challenges included:

• In Your Pocket
• Photo Free Day
• Delete That App
• Take a Fauxcation
• One Small Observation
• Dream House

Day 1: In Your Pocket

The first challenge was simple: keep my phone in my pocket or bag while in transit. As someone who drives to work and already stashes their phone in their backpack, this was an easy task. However, I took it a step further by hiding my personal phone in a desk drawer for the entire day.

Day 2: Photo Free Day

The second challenge was a tough one: no photos for an entire day. As a blogger and amateur photographer, I take many photos daily. What struck me was that I could actually remember the sunrise from that day more vividly than previous ones I’d photographed. This challenge made me realize that I take photos for personal enjoyment, not just for social media validation.

Day 3: Delete That App

For this challenge, I used the Space app to identify my most-used apps and deleted them. Chrome, Twitter, and Instagram were the culprits. Without these apps, I had little reason to check my phone, and the impulse to do so mostly vanished. I realized that I can access most information on my desktop, and it’s better to check my phone in concentrated chunks of time rather than constantly throughout the day.

Reflections on the First Half

Overall, the first half of the challenge was a success. While Photo Free Day was difficult, it was also refreshing to break free from the expectation to constantly capture moments. If you’re considering taking the Bored and Brilliant Challenge, which of these challenges do you think would be the hardest for you? Share your thoughts in the comments!