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Note to Self

18 Places Where You Can Survive Without Your Phone

Originally published January 23, 2015.

You've been signing up for Bored and Brilliant because you say your phone follows you... everywhere. Endlessly. Mindlessly. In every single crack and crevice of your day. 

Friends, what follows after this colon is a spoiler: The first Bored and Brilliant Week challenge will be to keep your phone out of sight at a moment when you otherwise wouldn't. We'll explain the logic and the details with our the first podcast in the series on Monday, Feb. 2 (all of the challenges will be issued via podcast. Subscribe on iTunes, or on Stitcher, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, Overcast or RSS to make sure you get them first thing).

Until then, however, some suggestions:

Here are 18 places you could challenge yourself to keep your phone out of sight, and — just maybe — out of mind:

1. In bed.

But seriously: 44 percent of cell owners have slept with their phones in their beds and it's bad for you. Really.

2. The train.

Half the time there's no signal on an underground subway. It's like the subway gods are sending us a message.

5. At a stoplight. 

RED LIGHT! RED LIGHT MEANS STOP!

6. In line for coffee.

Do you really want to read your email before you're caffeinated, anyway?

7. While walking back to your office with that coffee.

#safetytips

8. At your desk.

It'll be so comfortable in a drawer.

9. In a meeting.

There is always the chance that someone will maybe say something interesting and relevant to your job.

10. Before the lights go down in a movie theater.

There's another screen to look at.

11. While the movie is playing in a movie theater.

This link contains explicit language.

12. After the lights come back up in a movie theater.

Keep it in your bag til you leave the premises. May the force be with you.

13. Bathroom

Hey. No judgment, here.

14. On a plane.

Sigh.


15. While watching TV.

There's another screen to take the edge off things.

16. Under the table at dinner with real live people.

Everyone can tell.

17. When you want to take a picture at a party.

The moment will still exist. It will.

 18. Navigating home from said party.

This one's more of a dare.

More ideas for other places phones flick on more than they have to? Send 'em along. As we said: Subscribe on iTunes, or on Stitcher, Overcast, TuneIn, I Heart Radio, or anywhere else using our RSS feed to make sure you get the challenges first thing.