A day without my smartphone and why I didn’t miss it

Dubai: In today’s world, being away from your phone for even a few hours feels almost unthinkable. Or maybe, we’ve just trained ourselves to believe that. One buzz, one notification — and we’re instantly compelled to check what we might have missed. Emails, social updates, news alerts, bank reminders — it’s a never-ending cycle. Life cannot move forward without our phones.

After all, our phones are more than just devices — they are our wallets, our newspapers, our navigation systems, our entertainment hubs, even our diaries. So, imagine willingly choosing to go a full day without one. Sounds impossible, right?

Well, recently, I did exactly that. And the surprising part? It wasn’t an accident. It was by choice.

During a recent holiday in India, a group of friends and I decided to take a day trip to a secluded nature retreat. One of my friends had a connection to a small resort nestled deep in a forested area — quiet, green, and untouched by the digital noise we’re so used to. It sounded perfect. Until he casually dropped a detail that changed the entire vibe of the plan. “There’s no mobile network there. No wi-fi. Not even electricity after sundown,” he said.

The room fell silent for a moment. I could see the expressions change — eyebrows raised, eyes wide, a few nervous chuckles. No phone? No internet? For an entire day?

Electricity, somehow, didn’t bother anyone that much. But no connectivity? That was the real panic trigger.

We debated. Some tried to come up with workarounds — “Maybe we’ll get some signal if we stand on the roof?” Others considered backing out altogether. But something in me was curious. I wondered, what would actually happen if we all disconnected — not just for a few hours, but an entire day?

So, we went. And the moment we drove beyond the last cell tower’s reach, it all suddenly went quiet.

The resort was surrounded by dense trees, the air crisp and cool. We spent the day talking without glancing down every few minutes. We had lengthy chats, went down memory lane, shared stories and importantly noticed the world around us.

As evening fell, lanterns lit up the space. We sat around a fire, watching the stars, something I hadn’t done anytime in my recent memory.

The next day we woke up early morning feeling really fresh and spend the early hours again without any signal. After breakfast, we left and we finally returned to network coverage area. The notifications flooded in, but not that I missed any.

This experience wasn’t about rejecting technology. Let’s be honest — our phones are essential in many ways. They make life easier, more efficient, and more connected. But what I realised is this: we don’t always need to be available. We don’t always need to fill the silence or scroll through it.

Sometimes, disconnecting from the digital world allows us to reconnect with the real one — with nature, with others, and most importantly, with ourselves.

Would I do it again? Absolutely. And maybe next time, I’ll even make it two days.