Today, I had a doctor’s appointment and at the end I had to make my follow-up. I don’t have a smartphone anymore, so I couldn’t add it to my Google calendar. Instead, the woman at the desk wrote the date and time on a little card. “Sometimes I think I want to get rid of my smartphone too,” she said. “I think I’d feel so much better. But I know I’d never be able to do it. It seems too hard.” My husband said the same thing - that it just seems too hard to live in today’s world without a smartphone. And I’m only a few weeks in, so take this with a grain of salt, but... it’s just not that hard. Before behaving in a wildly impulsive way and opting for what boils down to the same phone I had in 2002, I thought the same thing. “How will I Venmo people?” “What will I do without my calendar?” “What about food delivery?” And, “Will I still be a functioning professional without instant access to email?” It’s been a few weeks, and not one of those things has impacted my life in a detrimental way. I still pay bills, respond to emails, and (only when necessary) can order carryout. But here’s what’s improved: I’m not lulled into a trance each day when I get bored or tired by pulling the lever of the swipe-up screen. Just like a slot machine, it was giving me tiny dopamine hits through notifications, messages, and the chance to “produce” and “complete” tasks. I was also giving myself excuses for not being present for phubbing the people around me. And I don’t like that. I’m not advocating for any position on smartphone use, you know what's best for you - but I am sharing my story in case you’re curious whether opting out is even possible and to share what it's like.