A digital minimalism update:

 

I’ve spent some time now without WhatsApp (a couple of months – I use Signal instead). But I still was spending hours on my phone. Some minor inconveniences that I have faced from not using WhatsApp (I’m not going to be writing about all given that there would be more) is in receiving wedding invitations from friends. It’s become the latest trend to send your wedding invitations through e-invites on WhatsApp. Which is great (saving paper, saving money seems like a great idea). But now, my school friends have been sending me their invites over Instagram chat (since I do check it on computer browser), because I’m missing from WhatsApp! While it’s not ideal – I’m still working on what an ideal solution would be. But for now, either through pigeon mail or signal or Instagram chat – I’m still getting invited to my close friends’ weddings, which is great!

Another change I made after some prayer is to not use my phone in my bedroom. I have been doing this (using my phone in bed) for years and I still find myself bringing my phone to bed without thinking. But I quickly put it back in the hall. The caveat is that I still use my laptop in bed. But I’ve been writing a whole lot more, because of that. And that is something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve also been reading a ton of books! New books. I finished reading “You’re not enough and that’s okay *but God” by Allie Beth Stuckley. This is an excellent book and I should write a whole separate review on it. But it was super inspiring to know that I’m never going to be enough, but that’s why God came to die for us, and His grace is sufficient for me even in my weaknesses. I also went second-hand book shopping after years! (Because I wanted to have something to do in bed besides stare at my ceiling). So, from that shopping expedition I am currently reading “Soul surfer” about Bethany Hamilton and “Malory Towers” by Enid Blyton and “The Twits” by Roald Dahl.

A few years ago I stayed in hostels where my entire room was just the bedroom so this might have been difficult to do then, but now since I’m back home and have all these different rooms to live in it’s been a blessing to leave my phone in the hall and use it. For the past week, I’m trying to add more rooms where I don’t use my phone – like our kitchen. I was texting my sister on signal and spilt way too much oil on the dosa tawa than I intended so I guess the kitchen is another area where I just want to be more careful and present and intentional about my actions.

This whole challenge is pushing me to try new things and I can find my mental health improve slowly over time, but I guess a slow improvement is still good enough for me to not want to go back to using social media and my cell phone the way that I did before 😊

More updates on this later, God willing!