Tried leaving my phone at home for a walk and it felt completely different

I live in Portland and usually take my dog out with music or a podcast playing. Last Saturday I forgot my phone on the counter and didn't realize until I was already a block away. The walk felt slower and I noticed stuff I never see, like a new mural on a coffee shop and three different types of birds in one tree. It was kind of nice but I also got bored after 20 minutes. Has anyone else tried ditching their phone for a routine thing and had mixed feelings about it?

3 comments

3 Comments

tarab5425d ago

Did I accidentally become present and aware of my surroundings for a bit there... that sounds terrible, honestly. I'd probably start having conversations with the birds after 10 minutes.

iris_green8424d ago

ngl I kinda envy that boredom though. It means your brain was actually taking a break for once instead of being fried by constant scrolling. Maybe we all need a little bird chat now and then.

evan15124d ago

The whole phone thing has kinda revealed how addicted we all are to constant tiny dopamine hits. You walk outside without it and suddenly the world feels slow because your brain isn't getting those little updates every 30 seconds. It's like how people can't sit in a waiting room for two minutes without pulling out their phone now. We've forgotten that being bored is actually normal and sometimes even good for you. That boredom you felt after 20 minutes is just your brain trying to trick you back into scrolling because it misses the quick little rewards.