August 21, 2024 – Accepting Myself

Yes, it’s another mid-week, weekly blog post. Look at the date!! It’s almost the end of August and the start of a new term, cohort of students, and school year. I’ve spent a lot of time investigating and examining what’s important to me. It’s so interesting to think about my teaching practice because if reflects who I am. Lots of my teaching sits on the foundation of Parker Palmer’s work and the Heart of a Teacher: Identity and Integrity in Teaching (1997). He says that what makes good teaching is (1) knowledge of the subject matter, (2) knowledge of the students, and (3) knowledge of yourself (or self-knowledge). The third factor, I believe, is missing in most practices and I spend a lot of time here with teacher candidates.

Admittedly, I am fascinated by out-of-field teaching. Many of us are asked to teach a subject area that we are not “experts” in and many of us who do, don’t really want to talk about it. It could be because we are trying to instil some confidence into the students that we know what we are talking about, we are struggling with imposter syndrome and we are attempting to “be the teacher,” or we take the opportunity for purposes of getting our foot into the door or job security. These are only hypotheses, but out-of-field teaching as researched deeply by Richard Ingersoll is a topic that needs to be discussed further, particularly when we are in a “teacher shortage” in BC. On the one hand, due to the teacher shortage, early career teachers may find positions within their expertise. On the other hand, we are also hiring uncertified teachers or positioning teachers in places to fill the gap.

As for knowing the students, that will vary. I will only know the students to a certain capacity as a course instructor but also when working with adults, there needs to be a clear boundary between the student and teacher. I don’t want to infer that I want to endorse or enforce power structures, but there can be a point when there would be a conflict of interest. Knowing your students is a fine balance and depending on context, I may not be equipped to know some information about the student or be privied to know everything. Well, you’re never going to know everything. One thing is true, you will never know someone else’s story. We can gather information and infer, but what we need to know is about their learning. Relationships and “seeing students” are key to any teacher in the profession.

The self-knowledge has been an area I have been delving into. Blogging has played a role as it allows me to reflect and think while I write. But, I’ve been through many “life’s opportunities” that forces me examine and re-examine who I am and what’s important to me. As much as I thought I was doing this examination of self during the pandemic, I am now fully aware that I was just scratching the surface. The more that I understand myself, the more confident I can be with showing my values and now feel judged or insecure with what I am designing, teaching, or assessing. I have also learned to let go of other people’s opinions, but just take it as formative feedback. My job is to take or leave that feedback, and if I take it, what will I do with that information. That’s it. Nothing is personal, but rather formative.

I can’t lose myself in what other people might think or do. What I can do is notice. That’s it. I can wonder, reflect, listen, observe, and then decide what’s best to do. Sometimes it’s about going with your heart, like this lovely bowl of ramen in the photo above. On the weekend, I just wanted to have this comforting meal (for only $15 before tip). It was lunch for one on Sunday and I loved every minute of it. Sometimes it’s about making decisions that are best for you. Also on Sunday, I decided that I would not be curling next season due to an injury. I love curling with my team that was formed 3-years ago, but I cannot let fear dictate my decisions. We had a tonne of fun together and I love the sport. For now, it’s not the best thing for me and I’m thinking I need to focus on walking and yoga to improve my health.

What I am understanding is, like knowing your subject matter and students, self-knowledge is not static. It takes time and effort to stay updated and things change.

August 13, 2024 – Grant Writing Workshop

There is nothing I hate more is setting a personal goal of weekly blog posts and I’m a few days late. The world is not collapsing and there are no real consequences. Nothing much to worry about, except for maintaining a habit and commitment. Admittedly, I did start this blog on the weekend, but it turned out, it was not the right time. I think what I was planning to blog here, I wrote in my other website. There you go. Completion, and I have something to “new” to write about here.

Today, I went to the first day of two of a grant writing workshop. I’ve been to this workshop before when it was hosted online a few years ago during the pandemic. Well, I’m back. I find, much like when I attend the tenure and promotion meetings, that things just make more sense over time. Working in higher education has taken me some time to adapt to. However, when I think about who I am and how I operate, I take time to adapt, adjust, and acculturate to my circumstances.

I don’t this taking time to adapt is a bad thing, but it’s something to notice. When I think about change, it’s best to change slowly over time versus rapid change and expecting some sustainability. Anyway, I am learning (again) about grant writing but I am learning way more this time. It might be because it’s my second time or that the session is in-person. I also have some experience with grant writing as a co-investigator and co-applicant, but I think it’s time to make a move for myself.

The ideas being presented are broad, but the tools and frameworks can be applied to our personal research agendas, whether if you are a student, faculty, or staff. That’s kinda cool, when you think about it. The facilitator is leading a session for folks of varying research experience and who are either interested in NSERC, SSHRC, or CIHR (i.e., science, humanities, or health). Her anecdotes are helpful and I really appreciate that she shares that she thinks best from 8pm to midnight.

I can relate to that… but my “tiger time” is from midnight to 4am. I love her stance on that. She is very clear about her stance of not having to work at 6am in the morning and don’t expect her to comply to that expectation because that is not her best work time. I love the boundary that she has set for herself but also being clear of her ability and thus don’t expect much from her in the mornings. It does not mean that she is not productive because she works at night. It’s just different.

Not only did I need to hear about that, but I appreciated the activity at the end of the day. The frameworks provided helped me to map out my research program. Maybe not my whole program, but of a research study I wish to pursue. I got a little worried about another project that was not quite fitting, but we tried a different framework and that project mapped out reasonably well. This is exciting. I look forward to day 2 of this workshop and where I can take these projects next.

August 3, 2024 – Focussing on how I feel

Being attuned to how I feel is a practice. It’s something that I have not done a lot before. More often than not, I would avoid, ignore, or repress my feelings with the belief that what I was thinking was more important or more “right” so just do that and the feelings would pass. Whew. That “thinking” did not serve me. In fact, I think I spent a lot of my time overthinking about the past and future. Weirdly, you can’t change the past and you can see, predict, or concretely attain the future. Holy moly… what a waste of time. I was more worried about what others thought of me rather than worrying, no wait… enjoying and appreciating who I am/was.

I’m not sad, but HAPPY. I get this now. Be in the present. Be who I am. Feel good. Don’t be shy. I’ve been through a lot of changes over the last handful of years and in this time of change and transformation, I have never felt better and more aware of who I am and of my surroundings. During this time of personal disruption, I turned to things like Squishmellows to make me happy. Look at them. See below. They are so dang cute. All of them are smiling. Strangely, it’s almost like a pet. There is unconditional love. Anyway, my students outed me this school year.

I could not hide anymore. It started with one squishy (I believe acquired during the pandemic, if not, then just before) and now there is a community. I was reluctant for folks to know despite the fact they brought me a lot of joy. Slowly but surely, this cohort of students got me to show a little more of them, I was gifted with some, and now they are visible in my office at work and in my home. They are a part of me. There might be a day I will grow out of them, but for now, they make me happy. That’s all that matters. I enjoy them and they bring me a lot of comfort.

This blog post might be a lot of information… not quite the TMI but it’s something about me that I’m not shy or ashamed about (anymore). It’s who I am. I like them. And, if anything I’d like to share in this blog post as a point of learning is, just be yourself. Be proud of what you do and enjoy the things that bring you joy. That’s it. My #OneWord2024 is HAPPY and I believe that paying attention to my one word has helped me to focus on my feelings and pay attention to how I am feeling and why I feel the way I do from time to time. This learning is SELF-KNOWLEDGE.

Yes… I am brought to my “boy friend” Parker Palmer and the Heart of a Teacher. Know your students, know your subject matter, and know yourself. These are the 3 secret ingredients to the identity and integrity of a teacher. No one is perfect and what brings me a lot of joy and happiness is the ability to keep learning. To be vulnerable, open, and humble for new ideas, knowledge, and ways of being makes me happy. It’s damn tough and sometimes its hard work. What I am learning is how to persevere, to appreciate the little things, and to be happy with who I am. 🙂

July 26, 2024 – Reflecting on the Term

July is almost over and I have been in an unusual frame of mind over the last week. Time is flying by and one way for me to ground myself to slow down or start up, I like to blog. I enjoy blogging even though I started to blog after leaving teaching to practice writing and reflecting. My earlier posts on my other WordPress site were short and I spent a lot of time overthinking about what I said. When my other site was experiencing some issues during the pandemic (i.e., two step authentication), I blogged on my iPad/bluetooth keyboard for awhile. Overtime, I just had to write. Now, I’m maintaining two blogs and I’ve regained access to my other website. And, I find myself just writing most of the time, with less editing and overthinking. LOL.

Admittedly, I’ve grown to love blogging and I just spent the last hour or so adding recent photos to pages on this site. I can see the value of revisiting some of my pages and updating some of the content. It’s also an opportunity for me to reflect on my work and practice. Instead of just ploughing through the day, month, year in my work, this “slowing down” to reflect on my work, not just the day or week, I am filled with gratitude, humility, and pride. I don’t know why I minimize what I do. I love to try new ideas and and reflect on what I do. It’s never “perfect” because I like to change things up from year to year and from course to course. I would encourage teacher candidates to keep playing. Learning is where the joy is. 🙂

Much like the image above, do what you LOVE. Nothing beat a hotel breakfast… at a hotel. It’s one of my most favourite things to do. this image is taken in Montréal when I went to Congress 2024 to present at CATE, CAARE, and OTESSA (PS. sorry for the acronyms). I love going to conferences. I love to present. And, I love the hotel breakfast. I am learning that I am engaged in the “Scholarship of Teaching” and that I should approach my academic writing much like I do with blogging. I do spend too much time overthinking and editing while writing. As a result, not much is getting done. Is there such a thing as scholarship-efficacy like teacher efficacy? My non-teaching term is the best time to get reading, writing, and research done.

For tonight, I will return to reviewing portfolios from my EDUC 405 class. This year will be the last offering of portfolios and the course will emphasize inquiry. Moreover, the course will be taught by another faculty member with this change. If anything, I am going to savour and make the most of portfolios in EDUC 405. The teacher candidates, so far, are meeting or exceeding expectations. The course ends in December 2024, so all of my feedback and student progress are formative. I am so proud of the work that is being produced so far and I recognize that each person will complete the course with personalized outcomes. Ideally, they are making a DIGITAL NARRATIVE of their pedagogical journey in the program. 🙂

((Ahhh… I’m back in the zone. Yay!! Feels great. I’m going to update my website first.))

July 21, 2024 – Costco Soup Dumplings

Of course it’s an image of Costco soup dumplings and a Diet Coke to complement this weekly blog post. Gosh. This image depicts one of my most favourite meals in Prince George. I spent a lot of my time over the last few years finding products in Prince George that remind me of my mom, my culture, and the food we used to eat. Some of the food comes from one restaurant that has a small Cantonese menu that is not widely advertised and best to be eaten at the restaurant. I buy frozen dumplings from a local store downtown, the Superstore, and Costco. And, I try to make some food that my mom use to make. There is not a lot that I have found, but I am grateful for what I have found. Having this food brings me a lot of COMFORT.

A long story made short, I have spent much of my time as of late trying to achieve the feeling of comfort. Much like enduring the hot weather here in Prince George. It was 36 degrees today, the hottest day in this week’s hot weather spell. I don’t have air conditioning in my apartment, but my apartment is north-facing. I’m grateful that I get the evening sun and I have surrounded myself with two fans with hopes of staying cool, or at least, comfortable. I cannot believe that the Okanagan is almost 10 degrees hotter. I was just there a couple of weeks ago. I loved the lake-life experience, but the heat was something to endure. Thank goodness for the lake to cool down with and I was grateful for the company too.

Last week, I returned to work to provide informal office hours for one of my courses that is currently running asynchronously. It was great to see the teacher candidates on campus again and working in the air conditioned work environment was good too. I’ve had some long conversations with some and I had the time to delve into some of my writing. The time just flew by and coming home at night in the heat resulted in very little productivity due to heat/fan management. LOL. You don’t know until you know. Now, I know. Keep work at work (in the AC). My week ended with one conversation that left me thinking. I caught myself… and found myself take a pause the next day. I am back on my PEDAGOGICAL JOURNEY.

I thought I was on my #pedagogicaljourney when I was worked on my dissertation. Originally, I thought that completing my doctorate degree was the destination. I imagined that my life would change or at least be different as “Dr. Christine Ho.” Well, it has changed, but not the way that I had imagined. Moreover, I let go of my vision because I believed the vision was achieved during my doctoral program. Wrong again. What I realized from my conversation last week is, I create my path. I create my dreams. I create my destiny. Sounds extreme, I know, but last week I found myself falling back into a familiar mindset (that’s not beneficial to me). It’s like having the rubber band on my wrist. SNAP. Do different to be different. 🙂

I was listening to a podcast and it was about was habitation and dishabitation. Although the podcast was about bringing excitement to your life, I was thinking more about how to make change in my life/career. There is no different between my personal and professional life. I am the same person. So, if I want things to be different, I have to do differently. That makes sense to me. Catching myself (or at least my mindset) was something I noticed and want to change. The advice given to me was more a matter of fact and of information I already knew, but I just was not doing it. I spent a good chunk of my time seeking COMFORT = SAFETY. I think that I’ve found it and feel good about who I am to find the courage to take risks.

What is that risk? Writing, researching, and publishing. Putting myself out there and believing that what I have to write is worthwhile. This idea is a tough one for me because you have to believe this is true. I am horrible at “fake it until you make it” and overcoming “imposter syndrome” even though others have expressed their confidence in me and interest in my work. It’s different from blogging but I did use my blog to practice writing, to build the courage to put my ideas “out there.” In the end, I have to believe in myself and believe in my work. I internalized the negative feedback and did not embrace the kind words or encouragement. I guess I could not receive them until I was ready. I AM READY. My #pedagogicaljourney never ended. Much like my dissertation, each ending only indicates a new beginning.

“We can choose courage, or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time.”

Brené Brown

July 14, 2024 – Learning more about place

Oh boy… I’m losing my weekly blog post trend. I missed blogging last week. This mishap was my second missed blog post this month as if I am blogging bi-monthly. As much as I remain committed to regular reflection and blogging, I have given myself some grace not to blog. In doing so, I can see how it’s difficult to get back to the habit of blogging. I just returned back from my last planned trip to Kelowna yesterday and reconnected with my kid. Our apartment is clean and I feel rested. There is no better time than the present and to take a moment to get back to a routine, such as blogging. I have also committed to be on campus for the next few weeks for office hours for a course that I’m monitoring asynchronously.

Tonight, I have decided to blog about my experience at the lake. I met up with a couple of friends who went to Italy with me last year. I also met one of my friend’s family and I am so grateful that we could spend about 5 days at a friend’s cabin. Admittedly, it was dang hot. Temperatures were in the mid to high 30’s and you had to go into the lake to cool down (or take cold shower). The lake experience was amazing. I never experienced this kind of recreation before. It’s better than glamping and my friend menu-planned for the week. We had plenty of food. My friend’s husband took us to the boat-access-only cabin and helped with the lifting.

My friend picked me up from the airport in Kelowna and drove me to her home in Salmon Arm. We then travelled the next day to Sicamous to go to Shuswap Lake. I had no idea how big the lake was and how gorgeous it was. The lake was amazing. The cabin was fantastic as well. We each had a bedroom and my friend’s friend joined us later that day. The three of us (with the support of my friend’s husband) were gathering to figure out our next BIG TRIP. We just loved Italy so much. We had initially planned to go this spring/summer but due to work constraints, we delayed our travel plans to return to Italy and opted to meet at the lake to plan.

We talked about Italy, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, the Maritimes, Hawaii, New York, the Hampton’s, and New Orleans. We meandered in our conversations between times in the lake or making/eating food. We were challenged with what we really wanted to do and when we wanted to do it. The last trip to Italy was to celebrate my friend’s 50th birthday. This time, who knows? We got close with Hawaii and then New Orleans. What’s uncanny is, we kept on returning to our good memories of Italy and what we would do the next time we go. Another factor was budget and timing with respect to work. In the end, I think we are going to Italy in 2026. 🙂

I loved that we were able to get together at the lake and to experience life on the lake. I took so many photos. I could take pictures of the stars and the views were spectacular. Despite the very hot weather, there were no forest fires (nearby) and the water was cool and clear. Admittedly, I don’t swim. I don’t know how… I know, don’t judge. I went into the lake with a floaty. I enjoyed my time in the cool water and with friends. I loved slowing down even more and be very intentional with my time. I read, I rested, and I took the time to enjoy the views throughout the day. I can see why folks “go to the lake” and I felt like I got to learn more about BC.

I am so grateful for my friends and to have this time to be with them again and to meet my friend’s family. I felt relaxed and joyful to take this time for myself. I was tempted to do work, but I opted to be present with my friends and with place. The boat trip back to my friend’s place was just as amazing… I was sitting in the front and holding on for dear life as we jumped over the waves. Who needs to go to the PNE when you are in a boat? LOL. I loved the views and I loved the experience. My friend drove me back to the Kelowna airport the next day. In the meantime, we will continue to talk and send Reels on Facebook Messenger to make plans for 2026.

June 28, 2024 – Skipped a Week of Blogging

Well, I broke my weekly blogging habit. I shall start again this week to get back to regular weekly blogs. Time cannot be wasted and my time shifted from one thing to another such that I missed blogging last weekend. I never got back to it until now. What I have learned is SEIZE THE DAY and FORGIVENESS. It’s ok to miss a day. There is no “real” consequence except for me not meeting my expectations. In the big picture, I did what was best for me. Last week, it did not blog and I’m ok.

This week we had our School of Education program retreat at the Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park on “People, Place, and Land: Healing Our Relationships.” We had three teacher candidates, faculty members, and members from the community as part of the day. I was “co-hosting” with my colleague and primary organizer of the event. I thought it went beautifully. We were surrounded by 100’s of elementary students from the school district who were enjoying the park, we had three guest speakers, and the weather was just gorgeous. It was not too hot and not too cold.

I learned a tonne from that day. From the first speaker, I learned about Cree language, strategies to teach language, and the importance of land, stories, and images to helps little learners to acquire language. I thought about the Core Competencies, as did the teacher candidate beside me. Lots of lessons that could be created and imagined. From the second speaker, that might be another blog post. I was just blown away by the idea of science as evidence of how we are connected to the land and with everything. I was so astounded and enamoured by the presentation. The time went fast. From the third speakers, the feeling was slow and mindful. I was provoked by the notions of evidence of identity and rights.

The day ended with the UHNBC drummers and I was so grateful for the flow of the day. It was a different experience from last year and we were invited by the third speakers to have our 2025 retreat at their home to experience food, land, and local protocols. How exciting. “Wahkohtowin: A Cree Way of Living.” The third speakers shared this word with us last year during our first retreat. They shared it with us again this year while sharing map indicating Cree settlements. I cannot wait for next year and what will be learned. The day ended with celebrating an outgoing research assistant from one of the research teams I belong to.

I regret not having posted last week, but I will share a couple of photos where I was star struck from being encouraged to look at the new exhibit at Exploration Place and the Lheidli T’enneh were having a grand opening during National Indigenous Peoples Day at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park. Thank you Jen for waving my friend and I to come inside to say hello. Amazing!! (I love this selfie).

June 17, 2024 – Loved Congress 2024

Traveled to Montréal on the red-eye on June 12, 2024 to attend the Canadian Studies for the Study of Education (CSSE) Congress 2024. Lots had happened up until this event, which pivoted from McGill Campus to multiple locations in Montréal. Some sessions went online or others may have been cancelled. Last minute changes and planning occurred due to the labour dispute with the Lawyer Association at McGill and Palestinian encampment. The situation escalated. As a result, I changed my hotel from McGill to the Holiday Inn & Suites downtown.

I am not complaining. As it turned out, the location of my new hotel is only meters away from the Metro. My new presentation locations were either online, at the Université de Montréal, or Campus de Longueuil at the Université de Sherbrooke. I was able to access my in-person presentations via the Metro and hosted my online presentation from my hotel room. It’s been a great stay at this hotel and I would recommend it to others. Anyway, at CSSE Congress 2024, I presented 5 times. I’m not sure how that evolved over time, but I was really happy that I did.

I’ve added images of the PowerPoint presentations (see below) and of the CATE roundtable session that ended my conference experience in Montréal (see above). I presented for the following associations: (1) CATE (Canadian Association for Teacher Education); (2) CAARE (Canadian Association for Action Research in Education); and (3) OTESSA (Open/Technology in Education, Society, and Scholarship Association). The conference experience was AMAZING. I just loved seeing familiar faces, meeting new people, and getting feedback on my work. Moreover, I love the learning. I feel so inspired for next steps and what’s next.

My mindset is different this term. I attribute it to a non-teaching term. Although I have some asynchronous work to complete, having the time to reflect, synthesize, and create has been absolutely wonderful and I am grateful for this time this year. So, having 5 sessions this year has been very manageable in addition to attending other workshops within the buildings I was presenting in (aka., the limitation). Also, I was scheduled to present once a day (with exception to the first day) during the conference which also made the work manageable, doable, and enjoyable.

June 9, 2024 – Tough to Implement

Well, I am sad to report… or not sad… that I will be attempting Week 2 of three of the phone detox process. This week I was suppose to turn off notifications, delete apps, and put my phone in another room (not my bedroom) when I go to sleep. For some reason this week, I had to be on my phone for communication purposes and I was away from my laptop for about 5 days of the week. Two days was spent in Granisle with the Koh Learning group and students from SD91 (Nechako Lakes) and 3 days camping at Salmon Valley Campsite with RecOrg UNBC. Both trips I decided not to bring my laptop. I also deleted a lot of apps too, so there was no opportunities to be productive. Admittedly, it was a good thing. I was mostly off my phone and I was definitely not on my laptop. My screen time still decreased by 9% and down to 2h19min average per day. That’s half of what it used to be.

I can see that I am making progress on getting off my phone and I do find myself not wanting to go on it. I don’t really need to. I think turning off my notifications is AMAZING because I am not motivated or provoked by any red dots. That said, I do get a little behind on my emails and often shocked to see my Gmail with multiple notifications. That said, most of those emails are not really that important. As long as I have the chance to go on my laptop to check or worst case scenario open my phone app at least once a day to ensure I’m not missing anything too important. I feel like my pace of life is slower and I am more present with what I am doing. Going to Granisle and Salmon Valley was exactly what I needed despite the fact that I have to prep for several presentations for an upcoming conference. The conference is providing lots of notifications and updates to change venues.

The conference is in Montréal at McGill University. There is much turmoil at the institution right now and today the conference completely pivoted. Some sessions are relocated, some sessions are going online, while other sessions are cancelled. I am presenting 5 times (seems a little over zealous) at Congress 2024. My first session, I am a panelist for the CATE Working Conference on Teacher Leadership, my second is a presentation with CAARE (action research) and I’m co-presenting with a colleague on Climate Education in Teacher Education, my third session we moved the paper presentation to be online (we mutually agreed to this) and I am presenting with a friend, my fourth session is with OTESSA and I had to move that to another day due to a conflict with my first presentation, and finally I close with a round table with CATE and I am co-presenting with a friend and colleague.

As you can see, lots to do and I feel like it will get done. I just need the time to be. Going to Granisle was “work” but also going camping was “work related” as I was connecting with folks from the university. I have also been working on a couple of grant applications to support my colleagues in a couple of projects I’m involved in. I am very happy to do work that I love and learning how to be patient and open to allow new ideas and possibilities to enter my workspace, but also learn more about myself to create boundaries and have a clear vision when to say “no.” There is nothing wrong with saying no, but also it’s good (at times) to say yes too. I look forward to trying to accomplish Week 2 of this digital detox process. And, I just remembered why I was on my phone so much last week… I had to change hotel arrangements in Montréal to be respectful to my colleagues and do what’s right.

I will keep you updated on this challenge while I am now compressing my time in preparation for my trip to Montréal and preparing for my presentations. It’s a lot of work but I am very happy to be engaged with this work. I am very grateful. 🙂

June 1, 2024 – Tracking Phone Use Time

As mentioned in my previous blog post, I said goodbye to Twitter (metaphorically), reached a level of acceptance of no longer having an active PLN on social media, and made a commitment to detox myself from my phone use/addiction. I am following the steps as mentioned in the Guardian via Makari Espe’s YouTube post. I am engaging in Week 1 of this liberating adventure to get to things that are more important for me to spend my time and be more productive in the things that I do. And, I’m surprised that I made it this far into this 3-week challenge. Feels good.

I invited a friend (aka., my kid) to participate. Although she is interested and feels the same way as I do, she is not prepared to embark on this 3-week digital detox. No worries. The kid remains my accountability partner and I can share my success or failures with her as I learn how to step away from my smartphone (as if it was a security blanket). As you can see in the image above, I bought an alarm clock. It uses an AA-battery and tick-tocks loudly to let me know of its presence. I don’t mind that. The clock I had before had LED lighting. It was way too bright for me.

Although I can’t take a photo of my photo of my phone to show the speed bump I have chosen to utilize. I put a hair tie that my kid got for me a few days ago (for my hair) but I wrapped it around my phone. It’s brilliant. I thought it was to serve as a reminder, but really it’s a pain in the butt (meaning, you have to move the hair tie to see the screen). It’s awesome because it’s such a burden. I found myself with the hair tie around my fingers when I found myself in a death-scroll. Shocking, I know. The hair tie is not coming off. An interesting game, but it keeps me off my phone.

Calculating screen time is going to take me some time to figure out like they did on the video. The looked at their overall screen time and subtracted Apps that made them happy, so that time spent does not count in the overall screen time. I want to exclude Netflix (to binge on Bridgerton and Somebody Feed Phil), iTunes (for walking and car tunes), and the phone, FaceTime, and texting. My biggest time suck was Facebook (i.e., reels… aka., the app that enables the death-scroll). It was good to take a closer look at the numbers as evidence of my phone use (or misuse… LOL).

The goals I’ve set for myself needs to be goals I really, really want to do in lieu of phone time. I can put a lot of things down that “I should do” but what do I really want to do? I’m also a person of THREES. So, not too many goals that I get too distracted or overwhelmed by what my goals can/could be. My 3-goals meandered over time, but I’ve landed with these 3-goals: reading, writing, and walking. I also had cooking at home and being present listed, but these two goals are ongoing anyway, so why not focus on three goals that are activities I want to do more of.

THE RESULTS:

I never thought that I could do this… and this is week one. Although this day is not quite over, so the results will be somewhat skewed, my screen time decreased by 49% at an average of 2h 31min. Weirdly, this average includes last Sunday, which was the day I said goodbye to Twitter (even though I still post on the app) and decided to do a phone detox. Last Sunday, my screen time was 6h 1min (3h 38 min on social, 1h 7 min on entertainment, and 22 minutes on utilities). Today, my screen time is 1h 35 min (59 min social, 18 min creativity, and 7 min productivity). And, this week was convocation and Walk PG (aka., lots of pictures and posts).

Unlike the video, I have not figured out to calculate my screen time minus the apps that brings me happiness (i.e., photo, Netflix, Spotify, Kindle, audiobook, health). That said, my numbers are down. I am super happy. I do find myself attaching to my phone from time to time but now I notice (and can put my phone down). I am reading and writing a bit more. Walking, on the other hand, is a goal in progress. I look forward to jumping into Week 2: (1) delete apps, (2) turn off notifications; and (3) no phone in bedroom. What would my numbers look like next week? I have already deleted some apps and turned off notifications, but I will take it further.

I will start Week 2 tomorrow so that I don’t have “Sunday” to offset my week’s average. I am still learning what it means to be off my phone. I can see its benefits. I am more present and productive. I feel that having my phone out of my bedroom will be a game changer. My phone is/was often the first and last thing I would do each day, engaging in death-scrolling. As much as I like what I see, it don’t need to see it everyday and for hours each day. It’s almost better to take a nap or cook dinner. I took a book of my shelf and started reading it “leisurely.” I’m enjoying that. Truthfully, I’m finding my phone kind of distracting. LOL. Let’s see how this goes.