6 Things You Can Actually Do Without Your Smartphone!

Nowadays, you can find an app for anything you need.  Information and convenience is at our fingertips, literally, 24/7. There are even apps to measure how much time we spend on our phones (believe me, you don’t want to know), and apps to help temporarily shut down sites (i.e. Facebook) while you’re working at your desk. 

Shopping, gaming, surfing, emailing, texting, cyber-stalking, researching – we’re all doing it, all the time.

But even with all this connectivity and information, we can often miss out on leading a full and connected life. Elements that help nourish us from within and can’t be replicated with any app or download.

Here are 6 reasons why you should disconnect from technology:

1: To Connect – social media is widely thought to bring people closer together. Have you ever tried telling your son that dinner is ready while he’s playing Fortnite? How long was it before you threw an oven mitt at him? To truly connect with others, put down your phone and look them in the eye. Provide acknowledgement that you are truly listening to them. This will lead to deeper relationships far quicker than any “wave” on Facebook.

2: To Dream – ever wonder why you get your best ideas in the shower, or as you’re just drifting off to sleep?  During these times, distractions are few and far between, thus allowing your brain time to “dream” and strategize. You can dream during the day as well by simply stepping away from the laptop, putting on a pair of walking shoes and leaving the front door without your phone. Give it a try, and see what comes to mind 😊

3: To Absorb – it’s no secret that we are drowning in information. We flirt from one article to the next without taking a breath. The only time we actually learn from all the knowledge we are consuming is when we take the time to pause and reflect on the information.  

4: To Act – we flag articles, add podcasts to our “to listen to later” list and pin countless recipes to our Pinterest board. We don’t have time to do it now, so we save the information and we’ll get to it when we’re not so busy. However, that time rarely comes. Unfortunately, no one is handing out awards for having the most pins. 
 
5: To Retain – we lean on technology to store information, but the information is only as good as what we learned from it. Research has shown that writing down information and taking notes leads to longer retention. We can take these notes using our laptop or iPad, or going back to the days of pen and paper. The art of writing with a pen can lead to better retention of the information, thus making the return on your time.

6: To Stay True – too often people hide behind a glamorous Instagram or Facebook profile, but true authentic relationships are formed and nurtured in person.  Its much harder to fabricate tall tales when you’re sitting across the table, eye to eye, with your best friend or your mom. We’re starting to see brands and people try to be more authentic in their messaging, but nothing is more authentic than having that one-on-one connection or experience with a person or brand. 

Far be it for anyone to try to get through the day without the convenience of our smartphones and other techno tools, but wouldn’t it be nice to carve out some time to truly disconnect from technology, and reconnect with what matters most?  Given the
rewards listed above, I’m willing to give it a try.


Leanne Calderwood, CMP  is Vice-President, Global Accounts with ConferenceDirect.  She helps her clients save time and money through the site selection process.  She can be reached at leanne.calderwood@conferencedirect.com or at her blog at www.ConferenceSource.net