Leave your phone at home is an experiment of sorts.
Made a video then shared to Otter, got the transcript and cleaned it up a bit.
Otter continues to be one of the most impressive versatile apps out there.
Enjoy the following writing.
If you want to listen to it instead click here now by clicking on this sentence.
Even though I’ve had this phone for a week, it’s probably the first time I’ve actually brought it with me on a walk.
There was a time when I used to get really excited about camera settings on phones.
And it was, you know, it was something that I thought I was interested in. Holding it like this is really uncomfortable. I don’t like holding it like this.
Last time I used to GoPro. So I might stick with Gopro. It’s easier to hold in case you’re wondering, which I’m sure not. to be honest I don’t like bringing my phone out.
Even though there’s part of me that’s like, Well, you know, it’s got a nice camera.
Let’s see what the camera can do and it takes nice photos.
But we’re at the point now with technology where it’s all pretty much the same. You know, everything’s amazing quality. Compared to what? A Nokia 30210?
Obviously, you couldn’t take a photo on one of those.
Stuff I used to care about, I don’t care about as much anymore.
You know, it used to about getting all the likes on social media. Don’t care now.
I post to Instagram, occasionally. Tweet occasionally. I only really use Facebook to promote my blog and post videos which I’m trying to do more often.
I don’t know why I’m doing video content, but I want to. So I’m going to, you don’t have to watch.
It feels good to just leave your phone at home. Be unreachable, uncontainable.
Now with everything that’s going on in “these uncertain times” you’re even more easy to keep track of, at all times. You’re going to be either in your house or out for a walk. If you’re working, you’re going to be at your job.
Every once in a while just leave your phone at home. Step into the silence. I really can’t recommend it enough.
Leave your phone at home
Whenever I say to people go on your walk without your phone. You can see them go.
“Yeah, I’ll do that. I’ll give that a go. Yeah, sure thing” You know, they’re taking their phone with them.
Why?
Because we just need to bombard ourselves with noise and images every minute of the day.
Sometimes, pardon my French, you just need to shut the fuck up.
You know what I mean?
Sometimes you need to just listen.
In particular, I need to listen.
Because in case you haven’t noticed, I love the sound of my own voice.
When I go into the forest, all my own, no phone like all these thoughts and feelings.
What you think about stuff kind of comes bubbling to the surface.
I kind of view it as kind of getting in touch with that.
You know, that inner, that inner feminine nature because there’s something feminine but what about the forest.
I know I’m talking shit, but I have to keep on going. Because I have to get used to doing things that make me uncomfortable.
I don’t know why, but there’s just something inside me. It could be the feminine nature speaking to me.
There is something inside me that says that this is the next thing I have to do.
I’ve been blogging consistently for about two years.
I need to start doing more video content because no one reads anymore.
That’s what I am told at least.
You can really use stepping out into nature, stepping away from technology to your advantage.
You can use that to talk to yourself, you know, reconnect with yourself, what do you think about things?
Constantly being bombarded with opinions and outrage.
It can be addictive, all the stimulus out there.
I know it’s addictive. I got really addicted in the run up in 2016.
Why?
Because I was so certain about how things were gonna turn out.
When people were telling me that I was stupid what did I know? It was like an in joke.
Felt like a high. It was a buzz to know how things were going to turn out.
But yeah, you get burnt out. You realise that it’s all it’s all the same.
I don’t know what’s going on at the minute and to be honest, I don’t care. Maybe you shouldn’t care either.
What’s going on?
Doesn’t matter.
A book I read years ago advised readers to stop watching the news, as the author put it, “If the sky is falling, you’ll know,”.
I like the quiet.
The older I get, the more I like the quiet.
You know the talking all the time.
Step back and listen to yourself.
Because you know the answers at the end of the day.
Oh, I hate the expression at the end. I apologise for using that. You only say it when you want to fill the space.
The silence is soothing and now I look forward to the long walks. When you do it you can just feel yourself decompress.
When I go for a walk what I’ll do is.
No, I’m not gonna tell you what I do. It’s not weird.
We’ll it might be weird, but I’m not gonna tell you about it this time.
That’s for another day.
What I am trying to emphasise to you is this: leave the phone at home.
Go on your own.
Have some time to yourself.
Instead of posting about how you’re going to be taking care of yourself or you’re doing some self care, or you’re putting yourself first, do it.
Why don’t you actually step out and put yourself first. Stop telling other people what you’re going to do and do it.
There’s a part of me that’s like, am I talking to you? Or am I talking to myself? The answer is probably a bit of both.
This has nothing to do with anything but I really love how close we can get to birds now. As in the birds of a feather bird variety. Not the “Hola chicka” kind of birds.
I like that, being able to get up close to nature.
Things are so quiet now.
It feels like the world’s quieter.
And that’s a good thing.
So why don’t you join me and enjoy the silence?
