What Happens When a Screen Addict Goes on a Tech Fast

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So, the other day, I stumbled upon a story on a podcast that was encouraging listeners to take a week-long break from their screens—essentially a “put-your-phone-away” challenge. The idea behind it is pretty interesting: if you’re glued to your device every minute of the day, you might be missing out on the beauty of boredom. The challenge nudges you to embrace that itch of boredom instead of instantly jumping onto social media or checking emails. Believe it or not, that uncomfortable feeling can be the spark for creativity.

I’ll admit it, I was reading this while my laptop was open and my phone was in hand. And yes, I’ve recently realized I’ve developed a pretty serious attachment to my phone—kind of like how I used to fidget with cigarettes. Sometimes, I’ll find myself mindlessly scrolling through Facebook while I’m already reading something on it. It’s like I’m a monkey pressing a lever, but the lever has just changed shape.

When I attempted to cut back on my phone addiction, my brain started negotiating like an addict. “It’s after five, I can check now,” or “If I wait half an hour, then I’ve proved I can handle this.” It felt like being on an endless binge. So, my partner and I decided to try a weekend without screens.

I shot out a quick email to everyone I knew, saying, “No emailing or texting for me this weekend! Call me if you need me!” And then we powered down our devices and put our phones away.

The first thing I noticed? Not a single person called. Our weekends usually include spontaneous meet-ups or last-minute invites, but since we hadn’t planned anything beforehand, it didn’t happen. I guess seeing us wasn’t important enough for our friends to pick up the phone. To be honest, we didn’t call anyone either, which made me realize just how far we’ve fallen into avoiding actual conversations. My kid pretends to be on the phone and always sounds really angry, which made me think that phones nowadays seem to be for yelling at customer service reps.

Next, we had to entertain ourselves without screens. No TV, no movies, and our music choices were pretty limited since we hadn’t bought CDs in ages. We ended up dusting off our old collection from the ’90s. Instead of plopping the kids in front of a screen, we played “name that tune” with them. “Is it ‘Free Fallin’?” “Yes! Your turn!”

We also postponed some screen-based chores until Monday. Our financial records are online, so we couldn’t tackle taxes or enter expenses. I had to do some math without a calculator and wrote checks instead of handling bills online. At the gym, I had no music, no timer for my workouts, and no access to my address book. We even spent about ten minutes trying to remember when our son’s birthday was, and with two clocks in the house always wrong, we were guessing on nap and bedtime. It felt like we were living in a time warp.

Living without screens was hard for us to sustain every day. Honestly, everything we need nowadays is somehow tied to a device—except for breathing, and maybe Trader Joe’s (and they have an app too!).

The surprising part? I felt a lot less anxious. I usually juggle a ton of tasks all at once, many of them virtual, and my mind often feels cluttered. Picture this: I’m trying to get my toddler, who’s about as stubborn as a mule, up three flights of stairs while dealing with my 5-year-old’s endless questions. On a regular day, I’d be inundated with notifications and messages from friends, family, and social media, which would just add to my stress. My temper can become frayed pretty quickly.

But during our tech-free weekend, I noticed I was just feeling genuinely irritated—not distracted by a hundred other things. It felt strangely meditative. I was able to focus on my kids without the usual digital noise drowning out our interactions. It was also refreshing to spend time with my partner without other conversations interrupting us. It felt like a retreat into our own little world.

So, here’s my takeaway: give it a shot! It can be really refreshing to disconnect, even if just for a little while. You might find it’s worth it—just remember to close this screen first!

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Summary: Taking a short break from screens can provide surprising emotional benefits, such as reduced anxiety and a deeper connection with family. Embracing boredom may even spark creativity. Try disconnecting to experience the refreshing effects for yourself.