Imagine unplugging from your digital world, just for a day. Yak’s Callum Pull was brave enough to accept the challenge.

We all love staying connected, especially in the age of COVID. But very easily that little buzz can become addictive, and then like most addictions it gets toxic.

We may not know it, but we sure do love it when we’ve posted a photo which climbs to 200 likes in an hour. Every little like is another shot and before you know it your brain is swimming in dopamine!

The first thing many of us do when we wake up is roll over, pick up our phone, and see what’s been happening in the hours since we went to sleep. It’s certainly an addiction.

Now that we’ve been forced apart for the sake of public health, we’re more dependent on our phones than ever before. They’re keeping us engaged and connected, which is a great thing! But just for a day, you should try and see what life away from your beloved phone is like.

Before you go to bed switch off your phone and put it in the bottom of your sock draw – far enough away from your bed that you won’t wake up and forget your mission. It makes for a peaceful morning when you aren’t slowly awoken by the buzz of notifications from 7am news articles. Just as suspected, the first thing you’ll do is stretch out to your bedside table and reach to embrace your phone, only to encounter the cold metal dome of the bed lamp.

That cold, cold metal is enough to shock you awake, and remember your determination. Throughout the day you experience silence like you’ve never felt before, like a long, hard breakup when you’re sitting there, with no occasional notifications to keep you company. It’s dead quiet, like the cold eerie silence in a horror movie right before the demon leaps from on top of the wardrobe.

Things take a turn for the better after breakfast when you can open a folder and start work on notes and assignments. These will keep you busy until about lunch time, when your belly starts to rumble and you can’t get Uber Eats.

You might find yourself cooking up a storm, but Easy Mac will do too. When you’ve finished eating you’re straight back in to those assessments. By 3 o’clock you start to twitch and get distracted. COVID rules encourage you to only go out for necessities or exercise, so it’s time for a walk!

Taking a stroll around the university, with your eyes looking around instead of down reveals an array of hidden gems on campus. By 5 o’clock you notice the setting sun as it  reflects off the windows of the Chancellery building, casting beams of golden light through the wonderful trees.

After dinner you’ll find yourself feeling far more relaxed than usual, as your brain has had a chance to rest without being hypnotised by the blue light radiating from the screens of your devices.

You might even decide to read a book before bed. Feeling the texture of the pages instead of the cold, hard surface of the iridescent screen you’ve become accustomed to. As you drift off you’ll find you’re having the best, deepest sleep you’ve had in a very long time. The blue light of your phone screen hasn’t caused your brain to trip out tonight, and as such you’ll wake up feeling rejuvenated.

A day away from your phone might have felt like heartache at first, but you’ll find yourself feeling far more content and at peace than you have in a long time. No more digital hustle and bustle – finally you can get through the day at your own pace.

Feature Image: Madelyn Gardiner, Yak Media Designer