1 year with a dumb phone

My usage stats the night before I switched to a dumb phone (to be fair, I was also recovering from a severe case of COVID that week, but still..😵‍💫)

On Christmas Eve in 2022, I pulled out the sim card in my iphone and put it inside a brand new 'dumb phone'.

A lot of people ask me why and how I did it, so let's do a quick overview of what happened.

Why did I do it?

I was wasting an extraordinary amount of time on my phone, and I was feeling flat and lethargic about life. I could feel my motivation, concentration and focus deteriorating, and a kind of low level anxiety set in like background music in a shopping centre.

But more than anything, I had big goals for 2023, and I knew I wouldn't be able to achieve them if I didn't do something differently.

What had I tried already?

Tracking my usage with the screen time function on my phone
Putting time limits on my phone and the apps I was using
Shifting apps into awkward folders on my phone so they were harder to find (to bypass muscle memory and disrupt the habit circuit)
Putting my phone on flight mode after hours
Enabling 'do not disturb' on my phone after hours

None of those things made any difference so I knew there was only one thing left to do.

How did I prepare?

The night before, I sent all of the people I frequently message a quick message to say that I was changing phones, and to expect that my sms comms would be shorter and less frequent as a result. I also gave them my email address in case they didn't have it already.
I thought about all the things I used my phone for, and found workarounds or stopped doing these things altogether.
I got NBN connected at my house because I had been using my phone as a hotspot for ~3 years.
I also deleted all of my social media accounts at the same time (except LinkedIn which I kept for work, and Twitter that I never ever go on anyway).
I downloaded a one hour audio track of ambient music to my old iphone that would soon be disconnected, so that I had some music to listen to offline while I worked.

How did I choose the dumb phone?

I wasted hours researching different dumb phones until I realised that I didn't actually want a good phone that was functional, easy to use and had good reviews! I wanted the phone to be as shit as possible so that I used it less! That was the whole point!

So then I basically chose the cheapest phone that could call & sms (but couldn't easily browse the internet), and would work on my network. I bought this phone from a local supermarket to avoid network compatibility issues, and it has been the single best investment I have ever made.

What couldn't I do?

Order at restaurants with a QR code (not really a big deal)
Use the parcel locker system in my apartment building (I would connect my old iphone to wifi if I knew I had a parcel waiting for me and took a screenshot of the QR code to open the lockers)
Use maps (I would just look online before I left the house + wasn't driving at the time)
Find out if trains were late (I'd find out eventually)

My usage stats 4 May 2023 - Much better!! 🥳

What was the impact on me?

MUCH more time
A tidy house
I'm never late anymore
Less anxiety
MUCH more focused and productive at work
Achieved some big things in 2023
Better mental health

Where am I at today?

Still using the dumb phone as my main phone, but I have the iphone to play my ambient work music, listen to 1 podcast that I absolutely love, and to watch Slovak TV so I can listen to the language while living in an English speaking country. I can do all three things while doing something else more productive, so I think I've struck a nice balance where my old iphone has become a useful tool again, and not a toxic presence in my life.

My usage stats 23 Jan 2024 🤓

Will I go back to the iphone?

No! Not for my main/personal phone - unless my life circumstances change dramatically or I travel overseas.

I hope this was helpful if you've been thinking about reclaiming your time and life from the invasive forces of technology and social media!

- Linda ✌🏻