"Loneliness is the poverty of self, solitude is the richness of self" ~May Sarton

For the last month, I have been living without a phone, and I am here to tell you that I am alive and well.

I am a survivor.

Long story short, on THON weekend, I dropped my phone in the toilet and due to panicking and slight sleep-deprivation, I turned on the phone right away which fried its insides and shut it down for good.  I finally received a working phone in the mail this week, marking nearly a full month living in the "Stone Ages" (as some of my friends have so kindly told me).  

Photo Courtesy of magicatwork

While I felt extremely disconnected from the world during this month, I cannot say that I minded.  I realized that I don't need to check Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat every other hour.  I realized that I did not miss out on anything that my friends were up to, just because I couldn't text them.  I realized that having my phone only distracts me while studying, and that I was so much more productive without it.

Society fools us into thinking that to be "connected," we need to be constantly checking social media, and that using technology is the only way to communicate.  Sure, it is fast, but much more quality conversations are always had face-to-face.  

And, while I walked to class without my phone, I made eye contact and smiled at strangers walking by without a second thought, which brightened my day.  While waiting outside of classrooms or offices for meetings, I could no longer rely on my phone as a clutch to keep me occupied.  Instead, I was much more observant of the people around me and had time to think about my day and do some self-reflection.

Photo Courtesy of Patrick Marioné

I will admit that the first few days, I felt oddly lonely.  Without my phone, I had extreme fear-of-missing-out, and felt odd not communicating with people 24/7.  However, after a while, I embraced the idea of solitude.  

"Solitude," the state of being alone, is completely different from "loneliness."  "Solitude" is often associated with peacefulness, and tranquility--being alone because you want to.   Merriam-Webster defines "loneliness" as "being without company, sad from being alone, and producing a feeling of bleakness or desolation."

So, when I went to study in the stacks without my phone, I was in complete solitude.  I accepted the fact that I had no way of reaching anyone, and no one could reach me.  I was there for one reason, to do work for a few hours and see how much I could accomplish.  That idea brought me a feeling of contentedness, and allowed me to do my best work efficiently.  I was alone because I wanted to be, and I was happy to be there.  

Solitude is really nice, and I would have never discovered this if I hadn't broken my phone.   So, the next time that something inconvenient happens to you, embrace it.  Be open to the possibility that, by adjusting to the situation at hand, you may just find a new perspective that breathes fresh air into your life.