Brooke Wolford

By Brooke Wolford

My husband recently pointed out there is never a moment when I am not looking at something on my iPhone. I kind of thought to myself, “How did I get here?” I do remember a time in my life where the Internet was not my whole entire life…I think. Well, I was born in 1980, so I was practically born with a computer in my hands.

I often find it traumatic when something goes wrong with my iPhone. For instance, when my battery randomly dies and I instantly feel as if the world is coming to an end. I will race to a charger as quickly as possible. I don’t know how to handle life without it. My iPhone and I are really close. It’s one of the longest relationships I have had since I married my husband.

I also sometimes forget how to communicate without using a “handle,” “RT,” or a “hashtag.”  I often catch myself abbreviating everything as well. Besides the fact that I get all of my news from various social media sites and I rarely call my friends on the phone.

Here’s my experiment for one weekend…seriously, I’m going to do it. I am going to shut my phone off. Not just temporarily, but for the WHOLE weekend. Here’s the plan:

1. Shut my phone off
2. Lock it up
3. Lock my home office door
4. Go for a run
5. Have conversations with my friends
6. Find a new hobby
7. Grab a piece of paper and write something
8. Do some hand exercises
9. Breathe
10. Sleep
11. Repeat # 9

So as I sit here and try to think of ways to distract myself, I can already feel the anxiety building. This will be one of the most challenging things I will ever go through. I have to make an attempt. This is my addiction and it’s up to me to beat it!

Brooke Wolford is a real estate practitioner with Edina Realty, Hastings, Minn.  Follow her blog at adventuresinrookierealestate.blogspot.com.