UNITED STATES—You know, I have been hearing more and more lately from people who are resorting back to having the old flip phone and I thought that was the absolute stupidest thing I have ever heard, but the more I think about it, I am starting to understand it. The cellphone adds to one’s level of stress people because the technology with that device adds to the things that you can do.

I sleep terrible at night. I am a very lite sleeper. I have to limit distractions as minimal as possible, the slightest sound, will awaken me without a second thought and then I’m up. I’m tossing and turning and I cannot get back to sleep. There are those people who sleep with a phone next to them, nope, not me, will absolutely hinder my sleep pattern. It is far away to limit the distraction.

A lot of the time it is my phone chiming to alert me of an email that has come thru, or someone who is sending a message in the wee hours of the night or some sort of app causing me to be worried about something. The cellphone creates worry and that is the last thing I want in my life. So it poses a very important question: do I actually need a cellphone?

For me to be honest, the answer is no. I have a landline in my home, so if someone truly wanted to reach me and it was urgent they can call my house phone. However, if I’m mobile and on the go, I probably need it to a degree, but my life will not change if I don’t have it. Yes, I might not have access to my emails or some of the various apps I use, but guess what I can always access the internet via my computer, laptop or tablet if truly needed. With the advancement of the cellphone and technology it just makes it easier for us to have everything at our fingertips.

So if you truly think about it the phone adds to one’s stress level it doesn’t take away from it, because you have all these things at your fingertips that 30 to 40 years ago, we did not have people. We have this anxiety about missing something if we don’t have our phones right at our fingertips, but the reality is there is nothing to miss. Life we will still go on, there is no message that is so vital your life will be vastly changed. No emails are that critical and let’s be honest, social media should not dictate your life, but so many of us, allow it to.

What about missing a phone call? If it is indeed an emergency, the person trying to reach you will find a way to reach you. Rather it’s showing up to your home unexpected or reaching out to someone else who can get in contact with you, you will indeed be reached. As I’ve stated time and time again, we lived for decades, hell, centuries without a cellphone so this notion you cannot live without one is baloney, yes, it does make your life easier. Just imagine for 24 hours, you’re not anxious about that cellphone, who’s calling, who’s texting, who’s emailing and a bunch of other things. You might actually get the opportunity to decompress and realize, “Wow, I can leave my phone in another room for a few hours and the world is not going to end.

Written By Jason Jones