This past weekend was one of those quiet reminders that we are still human.
A group of like-minded humans gathered together, stepped into nature, breathed the same air, moved our bodies, laughed, cried, ate real food… and perhaps most courageously - set some boundaries with our phones.
Now, no one was asked to toss their phone into the woods (tempting, but no). Phones were allowed at times, like for meditation timers, cameras, or emergency contact with the outside world. This wasn’t about going full hermit. It was about relationship. Not with each other (that part was easy), but with the small glowing rectangles in our pockets.
And here’s the part I loved most: the group took to it immediately. Like… immediately.
As if some collective nervous system went, “Oh thank God.”
Without constant buzzing, scrolling, checking, and doom-refreshing, something softened. Conversations lingered. Eyes met. Silence felt nourishing instead of awkward. Presence showed up without being asked.
It also quietly revealed something many of us already suspect - we may be a little more attached to our phones than we realize.
I say this with deep compassion, because I’ve been there. I’ve done my own phone detox which forever changed my relationship to technology as a whole. It was the best move for my mental health.
I know that as long as I run a business, I’ll need a smart-ish phone.
My work now is simply this: to remain smarter than my phone.
After the retreat, I wandered into a bookstore and bought another book on phone addiction. This one is called How to Break Up With Your Phone by Catherine Price. I’m about halfway through, and what I love is how practical and kind it is - no shame, no drama, just small, doable steps. She even makes it fun!
Also… the book begins with the author writing a breakup letter to her phone. Later we are invited to do the same.
So good!
So I’ll ask you gently, honestly, and of course without judgment:
How are you doing with your phone these days?
How’s that relationship feeling?
It’s been a long winter (screen time goes up).
It’s a wild time to be alive (news consumption goes up).
And when the world feels heavy, our hands often reach for our phones without us even noticing.
So maybe you don’t need to break up with your phone.
But maybe… you need a trial separation.
Or at least a few clearer boundaries.
This is just a check-in. From one human to another.
No guilt or shame. Just curiosity.
You don’t have to change everything. Even a small shift away from constant digital noise can open the door to more clarity, more honesty, more life.
I know it did for me. And once that door opened, I chose never to close it again!
With love - and eye contact,
Jennifer