JOMO in July: An Invitation to Step Away

What would one month of freedom feel like? One month of living untethered to our phones, which have become like parasites on our hands, always with us, always sucking time and energy away from the life in front of us.  What would it be like to look back over 31 days spent doing, instead of watching others do, of living present to the moment, rather than distracted and scattered?  

We’ve become so dependent on our technological devices, we barely notice their intrusion.  They interrupt sacred moments, diminish critical thinking skills, and keep us anxious with the latest news. They cause us to trade empathy for self-absorption, peace for anxiety, and deep thought for sound-bytes. If you’re anything like me, you’ve felt the frustration of spending time scrolling through social media, or falling down an online rabbit-hole, only to look up and realize hours have passed.

I’m inviting you to join me in making an intentional change.  It may be unnerving to think about limiting your screen time. But it isn’t as scary as the thought of realizing we’ve lost the ability to daydream, think deep thoughts, or connect with people on a personal level, without a screen between us.

Join me for JOMO in July!!

What is it? One MONTH of freedom from the constant connection. One month to step away from your screens and the endless input. It’s a month to reflect, reclaim your time, and evaluate the use of your one, precious life.

It's a month of Less and More…
Less distraction…More clear thoughts
Less anxiety…More peace
Less sitting on the couch… More movement
Less endless scrolling…More eye-contact
Less time wasted…More time for what matters
Less time on your phone…More being present in to the life in front of you

I do best with clear boundaries. I’m sharing my guidelines with you in case you’d like to follow them. But you know what things are most life-giving for you. Take these ideas or leave ‘em!

Ways to make the most of “JOMO in July”

Preparation:

Get books to read
Write a list of projects you haven’t had time for
Use a journal or notebook to record thoughts, observations & feelings
Invite others to join you for added accountability
Determine to stick with this for the entire month of July

Delete All Time-Sucking Apps from your phone:

Anything that pulls you into a vortex of endless scrolling (social media, news, shopping)
Email
Games

Keep communication apps and basic tools:

Calling and Texting
Maps
Calculator
Weather
Contacts
Keep undeletable apps in a folder

Keep life-giving apps

Music
Podcasts
Audio Books

Establish Phone Free Zones:

Meals
Car (Except for navigation)
Bedroom
While exercising outside
Bathroom - this shouldn’t even have to be a guideline but let’s keep it real
Leave the phone on your kitchen counter, not in your back pocket

Recommended Reading:

How to Break Up With Your Phone by Catherine Price
Deep Work and/or Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
Your Happiness was Hacked by Vivek Wadhwa and Alex Salkever
Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a by Sherry Turkle
The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place by Andy Crouch
12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You by Tony Reinke
The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr (Updated and expanded version)

I hope you will join me in taking steps to quiet the space in your head and heart for the next 31 days. I’ll post updates and tips on my blog. If you’re not on my mailing list, this would be a great time to join! You can sign up here.

See you on the other side!