A day without technology and a trip to Whinlatter Forest
A recent power cut turned out to be a huge inconvenience while at the same time a lesson in everything that I don’t need. The inconvenience came from not being able to use the cooker, items in the fridge freezer spoiling, the heating not working and my phone battery dying. Although these things also didn’t turn out to be as big of an inconvenience as I first thought they would be. The power cut lasted just over 1 day so long enough for me to reflect and realise how some of my routines were no longer serving me and likely causing my nervous system to be constantly in fight or flight mode.
Let me start at the beginning… The first thing I noticed was the discomfort of boredom. Our electricity cut out around 4.30pm and it was starting to go dark. It was becoming a challenge to do things due to not being able to see (there is no light pollution where I live so it goes pitch black quickly!). The thing I enjoyed most was reading my book by candlelight in bed (keeping cosy and warm under the blankets). But after 1 hour of reading I started to feel bored with still the rest of the evening to go. I ended up napping a lot. I also experienced a lot of anxiety without being able to pin down a particular reason (looking back, this was likely caused by not being able to access my phone. More on that later…)
The following morning, after a very long night’s sleep, I actually awoke with a lot of clarity which I ended up journaling about by candlelight. My main thought was about how much I use my phone and include it in my routines. Some of these routines felt healthy but I didn’t realise the anxiety they were causing me at the same time. For instance, I always would practice a YouTube breathwork session first thing in the morning, but because I use my phone for that, I’d also be tempted to have a quick look at emails and any new videos on YouTube. I realised it would serve my nervous system better to keep my phone switched off until a later time in the morning, rather than starting the day with a breathwork session using my phone. Instead, I could practice breathwork during the day to calm anxiety as and when this comes up.
I realised there are things I enjoy that I don’t need my phone for:
Going shopping, visiting the library and/or visit a café. All of these activities can be enjoyed in real time and without my phone to distract me. Sometimes this is uncomfortable for me as social settings where there are people cause discomfort for me. But I could get around that by simply bringing a book and notebook with me so that I can read or write in a café without using my phone to write (I would often use the notes section in my phone for writing).
Spending any time outside: whether that’s spending quiet time in the garden, going for a hike or gardening. I would often have my phone with me in these settings but I realised that there is no need for technology here.
Reading a book or crafting (I have been enjoying crochet recently): These are the activities I turned to most while without electricity.
Spending time with friends.
Although I experienced a lot of boredom, I also felt more present and energised after this experience, and it gave me a much needed break. Not having access to my phone made everything around me clearer and I was much more present. I decided I would like to try the following boundaries around my phone usage:
Switch it off between 8pm and 8am
Stop using it for my shopping list but use a written list instead
Stop using it for emails, but use my laptop instead (I feel some anxiety around this as I fear missing important emails and perhaps anything that needs a more urgent response. Perhaps trying this will help me realise there are very few emails that need an urgent response.)
Eventually I would like to remove all social media, including WhatsApp and have more face-to-face experiences instead
Use my phone to take pictures but try to be mindful about when I want to take pictures and what I will use them for
Stop using my phone to take notes or write creatively. Instead use a nice journal to always bring with me
Try to use my phone maps less, to be less reliant on a guidance system while driving (I already tried this when driving to Whinlatter Forest by looking up the route in advance so that I didn’t need my phone map)
Stop using my phone to watch mindless tv in the evenings, but use my laptop instead
I’m aware this will be pretty challenging for me, but I’m going to give it a try and see how I get on. I mostly want to hold on to the feeling I experienced while without electricity, which led to more clarity and less numbness. I was much more aware of everything that was going on around me and things felt sharper, more in focus.
The following day I went for a walk to a place I hadn’t tried before. Trying out new places always encourages me to pay more attention and concentrate more on where I’m going. I also find it inspires feelings of awe when I stumble upon a surprising, beautiful view or discover new, magical woodland paths. On this day I found my mind imagining myself living in a small cottage in the middle of the forest, being able to privately explore all the trails from my home, being part of looking after the land in a meaningful way, perhaps by monitoring plant/tree growth and recording different wildlife species. This is a daydream I often have, and it’s about living somewhere that feels truly aligned with my own values (showing kindness and respect to all living beings and being part of looking after the land). Unfortunately, I also find that this kind of daydreaming can make me feel discontent with where I live now. Right now I feel moved to explore local areas of beauty and I have discovered so many lovely, private spots. I wonder if I actually did live in my isolated woodland cottage surrounded by trails, whether I would feel moved to explore further afield, like I do now. I’m not ready to give up on my daydream yet, but it helps to see both perspectives and the pros and cons of living in different spaces. Not one place is the perfect ideal, but they will all come with their unique blessings and challenges.
One of the beautiful views from Whinlatter Forest
From where I live now, I do find myself looking for places to explore a little further afield, rather than staying close to the house. This has meant that I have found so many new beauty spots locally, keeping my mind active and excited.
Do you daydream about where you would like to live one day? What would be your ideal setting?