The Analog Pathway: Fasting from Technology

This type of fast is for those of us who spend too much time on social media, streaming services, and staring at a screen instead of into the faces of people we care about. 

Technological Restrictions:

If you are considering the Analog Path, some self-imposed restrictions you might consider would be removing all the social media apps from your phone, unplugging or even moving your TV into a closet, or committing to only using your computer or checking your email when you are at work. 

This kind of fast can be tricky because many of us use technology as an essential part of our work, but there are several ways to be a lot more intentional and heavily cut down the amount of time you spend looking at a screen.

The Benefits: 

This kind of technological fast is great because it promotes mental AND relational self-discapline. By eliminating all the time that we spend scrolling through Instagram or Twitter, or binge-watching Netflix or YouTube videos, it opens up a lot of time for other, more productive behaviors.

Scientific studies show that as you break free of time spent on consuming social or digital media, that you will feel more rested, sleep better, and have less anxiety!

Roadblocks to look out for:

Your fingers are naturally going to want to go back to old habits - whether it be opening Facebook on your phone, or switching on the TV when you get home from work. But physical (or digital) barriers in the way that stop you from doing this without even thinking about it. 

Suggestions: Put your phone “to bed” an hour before your own bed time, and don’t pick it back up until after you’ve had some quiet prayer time. Create a physical box that your phone goes into when you get home or when having a family meal. Many smartphones also have the ability to change them to “dumb phones” for certain periods of the day, so consider taking advantage of those tools.

You may also feel slightly more isolated as you step away from online communities or interactions with people that live out of town. The trick here is to embrace those moments of solitude and use them as opportunities to have face-to-face interactions with the people around you. 

Be Proactive:

Don’t pull out your phone whenever you feel uncomfortable or bored. Instead, pull out a book to read, or even write someone a physical letter. I guarantee that some hand-written correspondence will feel extra special. Be sure not to lose all that extra time to something else that is a waste of time. Do something that you’ve been putting off.

Maybe you want to read more books, or finish that craft project, or finally clean out the basement. By getting rid of a huge chunk of down time, you’re going to find you have more energy for all the things you’ve been putting off in other areas of life. 

Refocusing on God:

Make a plan to spend 15 minutes a day in absolute silence and solitude. When you have a moment at home alone, intentionally turn off any music or background noise and set a 15-minute timer to just listen, pray, or meditate. Fifteen minutes may feel like an eternity the first few times you try it, but it is a great way to recharge your internal batteries, knowing that those fifteen minutes were entirely yours. 

Breaking the Fast:

It is normal during the 40 day lenten fast to take a “sabbath” day to break the fast. But don’t lose your momentum! Instead, choose one day a week where you and everyone in your household (friends or family members or roommates) agree on a TV show or movie that you can watch together. Be sure it is a group activity! And keep your phones/devices down while you’re watching it together. 

Share a Meal on the Journey:

This fasting group will share a potluck meal together at 2810: a community gathering place on March 25th at 6pm. A perfect potluck link will be sent out closer to the date, but the sign-up form will help ensure that there are options for everyone to enjoy.

Sign Up Now:

Are you ready to sign up to follow The Analog Path for Lent?

Signing up will allow that pathway’s leader to reach out with helpful tips and resources, related articles, and coordinate the community meal. Regardless of which lenten pathway you decide to take, we want you to sign up at the link below:

Want to check out the other pathways? Check out the details of The Traditional Path (fasting from food) and The Sustainable Path (fasting from stuff) before making you final Lenten Pathway decision.