Okay, so the name Laura Towne popped up somewhere, maybe online, I don’t really remember where exactly. It got me thinking, though. Thinking about how complicated everything feels these days. Always running around, always plugged in. So, I figured, why not try to dial it back a bit? See if I could actually do something different, you know, simplify.
Getting Started – The Idea
First thing I decided was to try and disconnect more. Easier said than done, right? My phone felt like an extension of my hand. But I committed. No phone an hour before bed, and no phone for the first hour after waking up. That was the plan. Simple enough on paper.
The Actual Doing – What Happened
Man, those first few days were rough. Kept reaching for the phone without even thinking. Felt weirdly restless, like I was missing something important, even though I probably wasn’t. Had to find stuff to do instead.
- Started reading actual paper books again before bed. Found an old stack collecting dust.
- In the mornings, I’d just make coffee and sit, actually looking out the window. Or I’d tidy up the kitchen. Slow stuff.
- Tried cooking more meals from scratch too. Thought it would be relaxing. Sometimes it was, sometimes it was just stressful trying to get dinner ready after a long day.
Found myself getting better at the no-phone rule gradually. It wasn’t a straight line. Some days I slipped up, especially if work was crazy. But I kept trying to get back to it. The cooking thing, well, I found a balance. Not everything has to be super complicated. Making simple stuff consistently felt better than trying fancy recipes and burning out.
Also started fixing little things around the house. A leaky faucet, a squeaky door hinge. Stuff I’d normally ignore or call someone for. Bought a basic toolkit. Spent a Saturday afternoon figuring out how the toilet flush worked. Felt pretty good afterwards, actually.
Where I Am Now
So, what’s the verdict? It wasn’t some magic cure-all. Life’s still busy. But sticking to those small changes, especially the phone boundaries, made a noticeable difference. Feel a bit calmer, maybe? Less frantic. The cooking and fixing things, that comes and goes depending on my energy levels, but I know I can do them now, which is cool.
It wasn’t really about Laura Towne specifically, more like the name just sparked an idea, a push to actually try living a bit differently instead of just thinking about it. The key was just starting small and not beating myself up if I wasn’t perfect. Just doing it, you know? That was the real takeaway for me. Trying stuff out is always better than just reading about it.