For the past week and a half or so, I’ve been without my laptop. I’ve been able to occupy myself just fine, but this has shown me just how many things I have on my computer, and how easy it is for me to spend time on my computer when I could be doing other things. It’s not wrong to do things on the computer, but sometimes we need to step back and realize just how much we do on the computer (and the phone, for that matter), and consider whether some of it can be done other ways. Some of the things I do on my computer I can do without a computer, like writing, drawing, or work related things, but there are some things that are just more convenient to do on the computer, like typing a blog or a story. It’s just not the same on my phone.
This has gotten me thinking about when people do without something for a while, whether for a health reason (physical, mental, or spiritual) or just to see how much of a hold it does or doesn’t have in your life. In this case I’m not talking about bad things or good things, just things that we either take for granted or don’t realize we use or do so much. When you do without something like a computer, a phone, social media, a food or drink, a habit, or what have you, you can find out just how good or bad it is for you. You might find out you don’t need it, or you might find something better to do or use instead. You will certainly find just how much of a place it has in your life.