Its been the seventh day since I got back from Sweden. Alas! my cell phone is off. When I went to Sweden I had purchased a Sweden SIM which worked perfectly fine. After, I came back, it does not seem to work. My cell phone shouts "No SIM Card" Error.
Well the first thing that I needed to do was to try to fix it myself. But despite, number of restarts, it does not seems to work. Well this is what I have experienced when my cell phone is not working.
Day 1
I landed at Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. The first thing I wanted to do after collecting my luggage was to board a taxi and hence, I remove my Sweden SIM and loaded the India SIM. The first thing I no0ticed was "No SIM Card" Error. That got me into a panic mode. I badly wanted to call mom. An old colleague from my previous IT project offered his phone and asked me to call mom. So that was solved. I just wanted to go home and sort out my phone. I hired a MERU taxi from the airport and came home. Then my mother asked "Whats up with your phone and how many numbers do you have?"
I felt restless that I could not get my phone working and I really need it. I have to connect to the new friends I made on the way and now I cannot connect to them just because of my stupid phone.Since one of the very good friend taught me to keep calm under every situation, so I kept myself grounded and went to sleep. I needed it more than I needed my phone.
By the time, I slept and caught up with mom on the last two months, it was a wonderful feeling. Then I shared some photographs during my stay in Sweden and she was excited. The best part being that I did not try to focus my attention to my phone.
Day 2
Today was the day to office. I did not have a monthly pass for the train and I had to get that. So I kept on checking mom's cell phone for the time. Watch is not one of my personal possession. Cell phone makes it so easy to see the time. I had to keep watching my mom's phone. This creeped her out.
I got restless. I could not see the time for which i had to stand in the long queue for the pass. I could not even see the time. I was anxious. I wanted to make sure that I did not miss my train. By the time, i managed to purchase my monthly train pass, I was tired. I wanted the office to end and somehow, sort out my phone by going to the service centre.
By the time, my shift ended, it was already night and the service centre was closed already. Tough luck!!
Day 3
Today, I did not feel as restless as the first two days. But when I boarded the train, I felt that irresistible urge to check my Facebook and my gmail. But unfortunately, my SIM did not work and therefore, my mobile internet did not work too. I was feeling so bitchy at others since they could check their phones and I could not.
While coming back from office, I again felt that urge to check the status of my social media. But then I remebered. Oh!!
Day 4
I wanted to talk to my friends today and the *bleep* SIM did not work. How do I get in touch with them? I had to get this thing working. That was my though during my entire journey to the office. But I had to calm down. Someone told me not to get excited at the slightest discomfort. I tried to follow his advice but managed to keep calm throughout the day.
Day 5
Now I am getting used to the fact that I cannot use my cell phone till the problem with the SIM is being sorted out. I started noticing things. I did not know that Bougainvillia grew beside the railway tracks. I saw some spinach being grown on the small pieces of land beside the rail tracks.
While coming back from the office, I saw that everyone was playing games in their phone or using whatsapp or chatting with their friends on facebook or doing something. I felt a bit melancholic. When I traveled from Helsingborg, Sweden to Mumbai, India, I could make some useful conversation with people. But when I am back here, I seem to feel lonely. I felt that everyone was more busy with their cell phones than people around. Thats the saddest part of technology. We are present but still we are not. We do not live the moment. Rather than talking to people directly, we prefer to chat with them. What the b*bleep* is wrong with us.
Day 6
Japp, its Friday and I woke up late. Dog howls really troubled me at night. I wanted some quiet and I got that in the wee hours in the morning. I had to get my phone checked and my SIM but found that if I go to service centre I will be late to office. So I decided to forgo my phone for one more day.
Luckily, today the crowd was less. I decided to meditate. I started with breathing exercises. I calmed down and now I can sense others too. I became more aware of puffed breathes, shoves, pushes,etc. I could hear someone yelling profanity at someone else in the men's bogie too. I opened my eyes. The sensation was different. But now I feel more aware and calm and delightful. For the first time, I felt okay that my phone is switched off. I felt delighted that this was such a great experience.
By the time, I boarded my train again to go home, I could feel calm. I could meditate instead of looking at my phone. It was a really peaceful journey. The only sound was the sound of the moving train. it was a good queit and I felt peace.
Day 7
Its Saturday today. I did not feel the urge to get my phone working. I did not even visit the service center to get this thing sorted out and still I am okay. I have been getting better sleep. As far as my friends are concerned, they messaged me over facebook and I am visiting them tomorrow. I will have to get my phone sorted out but I feel much more calm with nothing to worry me or expecting some call. It is much better with cell phone switched off at night. I get better sleep even with dog howls.
It is a good thing that people are asked to switch off the cell phones during flights. At least, you get to meet some interesting people during the flights and during the transits. In fact, a research says that switching off the cell phones actually make people happier. When you really go out and meet friends and family rather than chatting with them and emailing them, you tend to have more human contact and that grounds you.
'When you switch tasks it requires attention. Paying attention to what you're doing and who you are with and turning your phone off and enjoying being with your friends is much better for you than constantly checking your phone and checking emails', The Telegraph reports.
I would have to sort this out tomorrow. But right now I am happy.
Switching off my cell phone for 7 days taught me the below
Let me know your thoughts on this.
Well the first thing that I needed to do was to try to fix it myself. But despite, number of restarts, it does not seems to work. Well this is what I have experienced when my cell phone is not working.
Day 1
I landed at Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. The first thing I wanted to do after collecting my luggage was to board a taxi and hence, I remove my Sweden SIM and loaded the India SIM. The first thing I no0ticed was "No SIM Card" Error. That got me into a panic mode. I badly wanted to call mom. An old colleague from my previous IT project offered his phone and asked me to call mom. So that was solved. I just wanted to go home and sort out my phone. I hired a MERU taxi from the airport and came home. Then my mother asked "Whats up with your phone and how many numbers do you have?"
I felt restless that I could not get my phone working and I really need it. I have to connect to the new friends I made on the way and now I cannot connect to them just because of my stupid phone.Since one of the very good friend taught me to keep calm under every situation, so I kept myself grounded and went to sleep. I needed it more than I needed my phone.
By the time, I slept and caught up with mom on the last two months, it was a wonderful feeling. Then I shared some photographs during my stay in Sweden and she was excited. The best part being that I did not try to focus my attention to my phone.
Day 2
Today was the day to office. I did not have a monthly pass for the train and I had to get that. So I kept on checking mom's cell phone for the time. Watch is not one of my personal possession. Cell phone makes it so easy to see the time. I had to keep watching my mom's phone. This creeped her out.
I got restless. I could not see the time for which i had to stand in the long queue for the pass. I could not even see the time. I was anxious. I wanted to make sure that I did not miss my train. By the time, i managed to purchase my monthly train pass, I was tired. I wanted the office to end and somehow, sort out my phone by going to the service centre.
By the time, my shift ended, it was already night and the service centre was closed already. Tough luck!!
Day 3
Today, I did not feel as restless as the first two days. But when I boarded the train, I felt that irresistible urge to check my Facebook and my gmail. But unfortunately, my SIM did not work and therefore, my mobile internet did not work too. I was feeling so bitchy at others since they could check their phones and I could not.
While coming back from office, I again felt that urge to check the status of my social media. But then I remebered. Oh!!
Day 4
I wanted to talk to my friends today and the *bleep* SIM did not work. How do I get in touch with them? I had to get this thing working. That was my though during my entire journey to the office. But I had to calm down. Someone told me not to get excited at the slightest discomfort. I tried to follow his advice but managed to keep calm throughout the day.
Day 5
Now I am getting used to the fact that I cannot use my cell phone till the problem with the SIM is being sorted out. I started noticing things. I did not know that Bougainvillia grew beside the railway tracks. I saw some spinach being grown on the small pieces of land beside the rail tracks.
While coming back from the office, I saw that everyone was playing games in their phone or using whatsapp or chatting with their friends on facebook or doing something. I felt a bit melancholic. When I traveled from Helsingborg, Sweden to Mumbai, India, I could make some useful conversation with people. But when I am back here, I seem to feel lonely. I felt that everyone was more busy with their cell phones than people around. Thats the saddest part of technology. We are present but still we are not. We do not live the moment. Rather than talking to people directly, we prefer to chat with them. What the b*bleep* is wrong with us.
Day 6
Japp, its Friday and I woke up late. Dog howls really troubled me at night. I wanted some quiet and I got that in the wee hours in the morning. I had to get my phone checked and my SIM but found that if I go to service centre I will be late to office. So I decided to forgo my phone for one more day.
Luckily, today the crowd was less. I decided to meditate. I started with breathing exercises. I calmed down and now I can sense others too. I became more aware of puffed breathes, shoves, pushes,etc. I could hear someone yelling profanity at someone else in the men's bogie too. I opened my eyes. The sensation was different. But now I feel more aware and calm and delightful. For the first time, I felt okay that my phone is switched off. I felt delighted that this was such a great experience.
By the time, I boarded my train again to go home, I could feel calm. I could meditate instead of looking at my phone. It was a really peaceful journey. The only sound was the sound of the moving train. it was a good queit and I felt peace.
Day 7
Its Saturday today. I did not feel the urge to get my phone working. I did not even visit the service center to get this thing sorted out and still I am okay. I have been getting better sleep. As far as my friends are concerned, they messaged me over facebook and I am visiting them tomorrow. I will have to get my phone sorted out but I feel much more calm with nothing to worry me or expecting some call. It is much better with cell phone switched off at night. I get better sleep even with dog howls.
It is a good thing that people are asked to switch off the cell phones during flights. At least, you get to meet some interesting people during the flights and during the transits. In fact, a research says that switching off the cell phones actually make people happier. When you really go out and meet friends and family rather than chatting with them and emailing them, you tend to have more human contact and that grounds you.
'When you switch tasks it requires attention. Paying attention to what you're doing and who you are with and turning your phone off and enjoying being with your friends is much better for you than constantly checking your phone and checking emails', The Telegraph reports.
I would have to sort this out tomorrow. But right now I am happy.
Switching off my cell phone for 7 days taught me the below
- Switch off that cell phone during the weekends and go and meet out people.
- Don't try to check time evry now and then, the more you feel you have less time, lesser the time will be.
- Check time as less as possible because it makes you anxious.
- Try to be aware of yourself and your surroundings
- Try to make small conversation with people you meet everyday rather than making it out with the device
- Although we feel that it is indispensible, we actually don't need it. It is important when you want to keep in touch with people on the go.
Let me know your thoughts on this.
