Quitting my iPhone. That is a bold thing to say.

How and WHY would someone choose to get rid of their iPhone and use a basic phone instead?!

I know, I know.

Before we dive into why I am “quitting” my iPhone, I want to be sure that you know my heart:

This is NOT to shame or convince other mamas to follow suit.
I do NOT think that this choice, my choice, is for everyone.
It is simply my attempt at living my life well for ME, my husband, and my two young daughters.

All you iPhone mamas keep rocking on! No shaming. NO judgement!

So here’s my deal…

I STRUGGLE with balance. In every area of my life. I always have. It is an elusive unicorn. I can’t find it and I don’t know that it exists for me. For that reason, I really struggle to self-limit when it comes to my iPhone. It doesn’t make me proud to admit this, but what does make me proud is that I am choosing to do something about it.

Here are 5 reasons why I am choosing to quit my iPhone:

1. It makes me anxious, distracted, and angry

It is hard for me to say this, but I felt anxious, distracted, and on-the-edge all of the time. I am a connector. I love connecting with and including people. I like collecting facts about people – it’s definitely a part of my personality type. I enjoy social media for all of these things, but I found myself getting upset with my children for interrupting my “zombie scroll sessions.”

Totally not okay with me. I need to be fully present with these sweet little girls. In real time!

2. It is my way of dissociating from hard things.

You should know that I have quit my iPhone once before. I was recently lured back during a very hard season for my family. My oldest daughter needed a major surgery and I just wanted the comfort of easy connection. This is not always a bad thing! In this case, it actually helped me to get information about how she was doing to my family and friends quickly.

However, the problem in seeking that comfort, on a daily basis, is that on hard days or sad days or tired days, I immerse myself in my social media news feeds. I’d use it to not to face or work on these hard things. I desire to be healthier than that! My mistake then was, I kept the iPhone around. In a drawer. Not this time, it’s going!  

3. My soul longs for simplicity

Something inside me has ALWAYS longed for simplicity. As a kid, I used to tell my mom that I wished I could live in the wide open spaces of Montana (with a small community around me). DREAMY!

I long to walk in the woods every day.
I long for a slower pace.
I long to be content.
I want bandwidth in my mind and heart to think and dream.

A friend of mine said it really well when he said, “I don’t think humans were wired to take in this much [negative] information on a daily basis.” This is true for me.

4. The Comparison Trap

I’d like to think that I am pretty thankful for the life I have. I have a husband that I love (and like) and two sweet girls who light up my life. It is still SO HARD not to fall into the comparison trap when you have a constant stream of people’s highlight reels 24/7. I have been so unkind to myself after a good social media binge.

It is EASY to believe that I am absolutely failing miserably in motherhood, at being a wife, and in LIFE.  I don’t want to be trapped in the unhealthy loop of comparison anymore. I know that there is more work involved than just quitting my iPhone, but it’s a step!

5. They are only little for a little while

This is something I am constantly having to remind myself of.  “The days are long, but the years are short.” Having littles can be so challenging and so stretching, but I KNOW that I am going to miss this season…so I don’t want to miss this season by continuing the pattern of taking “breaks” with my iPhone on the couch. That is why I am saying sayonara to my iPhone.

I believe a healthy dose of discipline and balance could probably fix this whole problem…but I honestly just don’t have it in me right now. I am okay with admitting that. I‘ve always been an “all or nothing” girl and I’m going to embrace it.

From now on, I am going to take a little longer to send a text. I might even call instead! I’m going to bust out my fancy camera, print out directions, and engage in social media – from my desktop computer, during naps or after bedtime.

Most of all, I plan to work on me in this new year and strive to do more things that I love!

How do you plan to take on the new year?!

Make sure you never miss out on a parenting or community-related blog post: sign up to receive CRMB posts in your inbox.  While you’re at it, join our VIP List to ensure you’re one of the first to know about upcoming Cedar Rapids Moms Blog events and promotions!!