Self-sufficient in 52 weeks (16) – Practise a day or week without a smartphone

Your smartphone is handy… Sometimes even too handy, making it impossible to do without. This week you consciously put it away and discover how dependent you have become on it. Not to make some kind of statement, but as an exercise. Those who want to be prepared must also be able to function without a screen.

Why this is important

During power cuts, network problems or panic, your smartphone is often the first thing to fail. Navigation, communication, notes, diaries, everything is in it. Those who never practise without it come to a standstill as soon as the screen goes black.

What you are going to do

Choose one day. Put away your smartphone or switch it off. No internet, no apps, no GPS. Use paper, memory and what you have already learnt in previous weeks. You already know emergency numbers. You have light and planning. This is the moment to test that. If you can do it for one day, then try it for several consecutive days.

• Self-sufficient in 52 weeks (6) – Learn telephone numbers by heart
• Self-sufficient in 52 weeks (7) – Create an emergency contact list
• Self-sufficient in 52 weeks (10) – Draw up an emergency plan for your family

What you will notice

You reach for your pocket more often than you think. Small tasks take longer. You become calmer, but also more alert. You notice where you really get stuck and where you are fooling yourself. That insight is worth its weight in gold for when you really need it.

Extra tip

Have pen and paper ready. Note down what was difficult and what worked surprisingly well. You will use that list later to tackle real weak points, not imaginary ones.

This is not nostalgia, this is training. Those who can function for one day without a smartphone will keep acting when technology fails. Being prepared starts in your head, not in your pocket.