This all started when I came across a post while scrolling that said, “seven days without technology can completely reshape your brain“. Before this challenge I was using my phone about five hours a day— sometimes up to eight. Which is honestly insane to imagine staring at a screen for that long. Especially, because I would like to believe I used mine less than the average person. When I saw that post, I immediately knew that I wanted to do this challenge for myself. I could simply feel in my whole being that I needed a break.
What I Gave Up (The Rules of My No-Tech Challenge)
For the challenge, I gave up all technology for 7 full days:
- No phone
- No laptop
- No music
- No watch
I kept a journal, read a physical book, and kept myself busy with sudoku, crossword puzzles, and coloring books.
I was anticipating this technology break for a while. I had been traveling for the past few weeks—first to the U.S., then Panama, and then around the Dominican Republic—so I forced myself to wait until I was back home before committing. After those chaotic few weeks, or more accurately a chaotic-ass year, I hoped this week-long detox would help me reconnect with myself, be more productive, and have deeper conversations with the people around me. I’m very blessed to live on the carefree island of the DR, where I can take a step away from the internet for a while and still live a completely normal and functional life.
Enjoying the Simple Joys🌺
Surprisingly, the first 3 days were remarkably easy. I didn’t feel the urge to reach for my phone at all. I noticed that I was stopping more during my walks to appreciate my surroundings. I was appreciating the colors in the flowers, stopping to pet doggies, making small talk with my neighbors, and noticing the way the sun moved through the sky (I got pretty good at telling time this way). discovered that I actually like not knowing what time it is. I’m always late to everything anyway because I prefer to follow what I feel in the moment, so not being ruled by a clock felt freeing. I was living the way I had envisioned Peace Corps life to be. I was waking up with the sun, journaling, swaying in my hammock, hanging out with the kiddos, and just letting life happen.
I also spent a lottt of time thinking. Probably too much. I started asking myself why we’re all so addicted to our phones. It’s ironic—we crave social connection, so we reach for our phones. However, phones only mask the issue on a surface level while actually make the problem worse. If you’re sitting with someone in silence, odds are someone will eventually strike up a conversation. But if you have your phone, there’s a safe “out.” Why risk a vulnerable moment with the person sitting across from you, when you can just scroll from a little glowing screen?
And then I remembered the cocaine rat experiment that I learned about in college. Basically, back in the 70’s in order to better understand addiction, researchers put rats alone in cages and only gave them the choice between water and drug-laced water. As you could probably guess, the rats drank the drugs relentlessly until they overdosed and died. But what’s really interesting is when placed in a “rat park”—a stimulating environment with other rats—they mostly drank the water. And when they did choose the drug drink, it was only occasionally, and none overdosed. To me, it shows that community makes life worth living and can even be a cure to addiction, depression, and anxiety. And honestly, if there’s one thing the Dominican Republic gets right, it’s community. Here, everything about daily life encourages connection—people check in on each other, help one another, share food, and are simply interacting with other human beings with greater frequency.
I think it’s pretty f’d up how in the U.S., so much of that has been commercialized. Need childcare? Hire a babysitter. Need a ride to the airport? Call an Uber. Need help moving? Hire movers. Customer service is even handled by AI bots instead of real people. We pay for so many things that were once freely exchange by our village. And we’ve been conditioned to feel guilty about asking for help, to the point where we’d rather pay a stranger than call up a friend. But if we really want to get people off their phones, we have to bring back reliance on people—the joy of real conversation and mutual care. I’ve had people give me so much here—food, rides, small favors and gifts—and I used to wonder why. But I’ve finally come to understand it. It feels just as good to give as it does to receive, and it all comes back around. It’s not tit-for-tat but rather a social giving web.
The Mind-F**ery Begins🔥
On Day 4, things were slightly harder. The power had gone out early that morning— before sunrise, but I held out hope that it would return at least by the end of the day. Day 5? Still no electricity, and that’s when the mind-fuckery truly began. The heat was unbearable—100+ degrees, no fan, no cold water—and I was becoming hangry (heat + angry). On this day, for the first time since I was a kid, I felt actually bored. I just wanted the next day to come. Now, I’ve always said that I love my own company way too much to ever get bored being alone. And it was true. I genuinely love being by myself and can always find fun ways to enjoy my time. Well, I guess now I know: after four days without a phone or even a fan to cool me down enough to nap as a way to past the time, I am in fact capable of experiencing the sentiment of boredom.
Looking back, I kind of appreciate it. My days usually feel too short; I’m busy from sunrise to sunset. But that day? It stretched. Time slowed down. And the night felt even longer. I went to bed early—the sun was down by 8 and I didn’t have light—and woke up feeling like I’d been through something. I had battled my own mind and won.
Because the truth is, sitting with your thoughts is hard. And as an emotional girly, it seems like it’s even harder for me than for other people. I personally really struggle with stillness. And although I can pull off a calm, chill vibe pretty well, the inside my head literally feels like a tornado sometimes. I’m also really bad at sitting with discomfort. I don’t know what to do if uncomfortable feelings—jealousy, loneliness, fear, sadness, longing, anger—come up. My conditioned reaction is to either distract/ numb myself, or to lash out. But when those aren’t possible, you face them.
Alone With My Thoughts🌀
I thought deeply that week, especially toward the latter days. So much so that at one point, it felt like my head might explode because there was so much silence and all I could hear were my thoughts. I thought about what I really want out of life and the type of woman that I want to be. I feel like I know myself better now and every day I’m getting better at breathing and slowing down. Because, while always running can feel exhilarating and really good in the moment, it’s not a sustainable way of living.
And as I sat still in this foreign country, I started to wonder: what’s even the point of life, anyways? Without technology, I wasn’t doing anything particularly special or newsworthy. I was just living each day the same—and it was all started to feel kind of pointless.
Well, I’ve decided that it is. Life is pointless and meaningless, and we care way too much about stupid things. But I’ve also decided that love makes it all worth it. Without love, I think life would be pretty miserable.
Love is what makes the mundane feel meaningful. It’s what makes the anticipation of seeing someone again ease the ache of being apart. It makes the effort to afford a gift feel lighter. And even heartbreak—the kind that makes your chest feel like it’s being physically squeezed to pulp—reminds you that you’re alive.
Re-entering the Tech World📱
So, now that I’ve finished this 7-day no tech challenge, how have I changed?
Did I achieve ultimate enlightenment and become a Buddhist-monk-hippie-girl? Not really, but I did grow. It’s too early to tell but I’m proud of myself. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone. I went to outings, not only alone but also without a phone as a buffer and ended up making some really cool friends whom I never would have met if it weren’t for this challenge. I also hung out more with my site mate and my little kiddos. And I procrastinated my house chores less. I lived without music in my earbuds or a phone to look out and block out the world.
It may not sound like much, but I feel different—refreshed, proud, and grounded. Would I do it again? Absolutely. And honestly, I think you should too.
Seeing as I’ve typed and posted this blog online, you’re probably wondering how I’ve transitioned back into the tech world. Well, I’ve found a newfound sense of gratitude for my devices—and I’m now using them as tools, not crutches. At the end of the day, I’m a go-getter living in 2025, not the 1960s. I have big dreams, and technology can help me get there. Plus, it just makes life more fun. I still want to see what my friends are up to on Instagram, go for runs with music, and occasionally wind down with a good show. But now, I approach it all with more awareness and appreciation. Instead of reaching for my phone out of habit or discomfort, I’m using it to enhance my life—not escape from it. That shift alone feels like a win.
I’m still grateful for my tech, and even more grateful for my peace.
Wandering Morena 
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