Lent has ended. It is time to review my spiritual exercise of breaking the habitual loop of my phone usage. Although imperfect, I am surprisingly pleased with the results and lessons, and grateful to God for the grace evident in this faith venture.

I was able to turn off all notifications. To be honest, since my retirement, they have been turned off. It was business as usual. I used to check my phone more than I should for WhatsApp messages, and I often end up in a habitual loop, several times a day. By batch-checking my WhatsApp messages three times a day, I found I would not be vulnerable to the habitual loop. It went well, so I would like to keep doing this.

I discovered that I had to use the phone for several essentials: facilitating appointments, responding to important and urgent WhatsApp messages, using Google to get answers, navigation, using the phone camera and video, and listening to music and the audio Bible.

Putting the phone away from the bedroom helps to guard and protect my sleep. I find this valuable.

I did not check the newsfeed for the latest news, particularly football news about Arsenal FC. I am surprised that this is so manageable. It has to be God’s grace! My emotions do not go on a roller coaster from being upset and frustrated by every injustice, the bullying behaviour of the mighty, and the game losses of my favourite football club.

The no-phone zone was useful, particularly when I am waiting for someone, in a queue, or riding in the train. In the past, the phone was a habitual go-to. When I stopped doing it, I found myself using the waiting time to connect with God or just be present to what was going on around me. Even having a silent pause is refreshing. I am going to continue this.

I loved this next thing. When I did this, I found it so life-giving: “When I have nothing to do, feel bored or am between tasks, I will exercise, do some gardening, read a few pages of a book, go outdoors for a bike ride or walk with my camera. Or sit and check in with God.” I find these little pockets of time precious: dipping into a few pages of two books and reading Bible passages. Or doing something purely physical or mundane, like chores around the house.

I also found this idea valuable: “Practice pausing for a few seconds before I open the phone. Ask myself, “What do I want to do?” This will help me break the mindless habitual loop and stay focused on the reason for opening the phone.” The habitual loop is activated because we do it without thinking. Pausing to deliberate, “Why am I activating the screen?” is immensely helpful in breaking the habitual loop, the muscle memory that steals our time on wasteful screen watching.

I must confess, I could not do a full day of switching off my phone. I could only succeed in leaving my phone at home while I ride out on my bike for a half-day of silence and solitude. I ask myself whether this is necessary since I had already put all the above ideas into practice and feel a measure of freedom.

I have managed to break the habitual loop by God’s grace using these ideas. Now the spiritual discipline that remains is to maintain this liberty in daily life, now that Lent has ended.

One great idea that came up during this period was to move the YouTube and Instagram apps from the homescreen. Remove it. This helped: out of sight, out of mind, out of touch! It helped me break the habitual loop of tapping these apps for football highlights and to post on Instagram. I now wonder if I should hibernate these apps and accounts. Hmmm. Let this stew a bit longer.

Father, thank you for this Lent victory. Grant me more grace, day by day, to keep this liberty without the extra motivation that Lent had given me.