--- title: No Phone, no Laptop, no Facebook for a Week – Can You Survive? description: No phone, no laptop, no Internet, no Facebook?! How would you like that? Do you think you can make it without going crazy? image: https://www.iliyanastareva.com/hs-fs/file-2171354729-jpg/blog-files/away-on-holiday.jpg --- [**](https://www.facebook.com/iliyana.stareva) [**](https://twitter.com/iliyanastareva) [**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iliyanastareva) [**](http://instagram.com/iliyanastareva) [**](http://www.pinterest.com/iliyanastareva/) [BUY INBOUND PR NOW](https://www.amazon.com/Inbound-PR-Agencys-Transforming-Business/dp/1119462215/) [Iliyana Stareva ](https://www-iliyanastareva-com.sandbox.hs-sites.com) ## Iliyana's Blog ## [No Phone, no Laptop, no Facebook for a Week – Can You Survive?](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/no-phone-no-laptop-no-facebook-for-a-week-can-you-survive) [fa icon="calendar"] 25-May-2012 18:45:00 / by [Iliyana Stareva](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/author/iliyana-stareva) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) Today many of us are addicted to[![](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/hs-fs/file-2171354729-jpg/blog-files/away-on-holiday.jpg)](http://iliyanastareva.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/away-on-holiday.jpg) constantly being available and reachable, mobile or online. I admit I can’t live without my laptop, phone and the Internet, I feel naked without them, I absolutely get frustrated and angry and start wondering what’s going on on the net without me and what I’m missing – an important mail or a fun message. Does that sound familiar? Come on, admit it, I bet it does! How long do you think you could survive without your so beloved laptop or phone?  I'll tell you how long I made it – one and a half days. That’s all.   Last week I went for a brief holiday back to Germany to visit my friends and to relax a little bit, because the past few months were extremely stressful and I certainly needed a break. Of course, I also missed my girls a lot, who I haven’t seen for almost a year! As much as I enjoyed my stay, I had a sort of a rough beginning. I landed and I turned my phone on only to discover that I cannot use it abroad (long story why…)! Can you imagine?!? I was absolutely unreachable, unavailable, impossible to find! And the worst was, I couldn’t reach anyone – I couldn’t even let my friends know where to pick me up! I did end up using the phones at the airport for that, but for the next day, which was a bank holiday, I had absolutely no connection with anyone, so I had to basically be ‘glued’ to my friends in order not to get lost! I didn’t show it, but I was mad, I was absolutely going crazy! I didn’t even have my laptop with me, so I had to use my friends’ ones to at least check my e-mail. However, when I wanted to go on Facebook I couldn’t because my privacy settings don’t allow me to log on to new devices without entering the code that I am supposed to receive as a text on my phone. But my phone couldn’t receive any messages! I was desperate – no phone, no Facebook, no laptop. After the first moments of frustration passed by I thought this was a good thing, a true opportunity to completely relax. This feeling only lasted a few minutes. On the next day I bought myself a new German SIM-card and I was finally reachable and I could also log into Facebook from my phone. I can’t tell you how happy and relieved I was because now I felt secure, I knew that if something happened I could call or text my friends or even send them a message through Facebook (which is actually the primary function I use it for to be honest).  In the end, can you imagine a life with no phones, no laptops, no Internet, no Facebook? I can’t, sadly or not, I really can’t. But the truth is **we are not dependent on our devices. We choose to be.** [The global internet user spends on average 16 hours per month online, 22% of which is spent on social networking](http://socialtimes.com/how-people-spend-their-time-online-infographic_b97103). [People spend 2 hours a day on their mobile devices](http://iliyanastareva.com/shocking-facts-mobile-has-redefined-how-we-consume-media/) – that’s 60 hours per month! How long you stay online and what you do there is after all your own choice (most of the times). However, do choose to take a break from time to time! Get your mind refocused by doing something else and get away from technology for a while – go for a walk for example, get some fresh air, enjoy the sun, have coffee with friends, read a book if you want (not an e-book, but a print version!); just clear your mind and you’ll be way more relaxed and ready to get back to work with full strength. Breaks do help. Even though I had mobile connection again and was able to go online from time to time during my holiday I still didn’t do so as often as I do at home. The end result – I came back with way more energy and a big, happy smile on my face. The conclusion – don’t forget to take that vital break when you need it!    How long could you make it without a phone or laptop?  Do you have any interesting experiences you can share? Topics: [General](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/general) ![Iliyana Stareva](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Iliyana%20Stareva_3.png?width=100&height=100&name=Iliyana%20Stareva_3.png) #### Written by [Iliyana Stareva](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/author/iliyana-stareva) Iliyana Stareva is a thought leader in Customer Success and AI. She’s the author of Inbound PR, a keynote speaker, and currently leads Customer Health for EMEA at ServiceNow. Iliyana has held global and regional roles at ServiceNow, Cisco, and HubSpot, spanning customer experience, operations, and digital transformation. [[fa icon="linkedin-square"]](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iliyanastareva) [[fa icon="twitter-square"]](https://twitter.com/iliyanastareva) ### Subscribe here! [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/462269/4f708c5b-6250-404f-94e1-bce18457982a.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/462269/4f708c5b-6250-404f-94e1-bce18457982a) - Recent - Popular - Categories ### Lists by Topic - [Public Relations (157)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/public-relations) - [Social Media (98)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/social-media) - [Inbound PR (69)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/inbound-pr) - [Brands and Business (67)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/brands-and-business) - [Career (54)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/career) - [Inbound Marketing (53)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/inbound-marketing) - [Marketing (52)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/marketing) - [Personal Development (45)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/personal-development) - [Leadership (33)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/leadership) - [Sustainability (31)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/sustainability) - [Customer Success (29)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/customer-success) - [Customer Experience (25)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/customer-experience) - [Project Management (21)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/project-management) - [Agencies (20)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/agencies) - [Artificial Intelligence (20)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/artificial-intelligence) - [Blogging (19)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/blogging) - [Storytelling (17)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/storytelling) - [AI (16)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/ai) - [Creative Campaigns (16)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/creative-campaigns) - [Technology (15)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/technology) - [University Experience (11)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/university-experience) - [Program Management (10)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/program-management) - [Content Marketing (9)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/content-marketing) - [Writing (8)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/writing) - [Growth (7)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/growth) - [Internal Communication (5)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/internal-communication) - [SaaS (5)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/saas) - [Books (3)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/books) - [Cultural Differences in Business (3)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/cultural-differences-in-business) - [Work Experience (3)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/work-experience) - [Fashion (2)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/fashion) - [Startups (2)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/startups) - [Zero-waste (2)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/zero-waste) - [Channel Business (1)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/channel-business) - [Consulting (1)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/consulting) - [General (1)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/general) - [IT (1)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/it) - [Money mastering (1)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/money-mastering) - [Partner Program (1)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/partner-program) - [Women in Tech (1)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/women-in-tech) [see all](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/no-phone-no-laptop-no-facebook-for-a-week-can-you-survive#) ### Get Social [![inbound-pr-winner-new-pr-books](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/hs-fs/hubfs/new-pr-books.png?width=300&name=new-pr-books.png "inbound-pr-winner-new-pr-books")](https://bookauthority.org/books/new-pr-books) [![Iliyanas_Blog_among_50_PR_Blogs Chosen_by_Graduates.jpg](//cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/462269/file-2296080612-jpg/Iliyanas_Blog_among_50_PR_Blogs Chosen_by_Graduates.jpg?width=539&name=Iliyanas_Blog_among_50_PR_Blogs Chosen_by_Graduates.jpg "Iliyanas_Blog_among_50_PR_Blogs Chosen_by_Graduates.jpg")](http://www.stimsonsarah.com/2014/10/08/50-pr-blogs-chosen-graduates/) ### Posts by Topic - [Public Relations (157)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/public-relations) - [Social Media (98)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/social-media) - [Inbound PR (69)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/inbound-pr) - [Brands and Business (67)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/brands-and-business) - [Career (54)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/career) - [Inbound Marketing (53)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/inbound-marketing) - [Marketing (52)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/marketing) - [Personal Development (45)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/personal-development) - [Leadership (33)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/leadership) - [Sustainability (31)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/sustainability) - [Customer Success (29)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/customer-success) - [Customer Experience (25)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/customer-experience) - [Project Management (21)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/project-management) - [Agencies (20)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/agencies) - [Artificial Intelligence (20)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/artificial-intelligence) - [Blogging (19)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/blogging) - [Storytelling (17)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/storytelling) - [AI (16)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/ai) - [Creative Campaigns (16)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/creative-campaigns) - [Technology (15)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/technology) - [University Experience (11)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/university-experience) - [Program Management (10)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/program-management) - [Content Marketing (9)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/content-marketing) - [Writing (8)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/writing) - [Growth (7)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/growth) - [Internal Communication (5)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/internal-communication) - [SaaS (5)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/saas) - [Books (3)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/books) - [Cultural Differences in Business (3)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/cultural-differences-in-business) - [Work Experience (3)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/work-experience) - [Fashion (2)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/fashion) - [Startups (2)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/startups) - [Zero-waste (2)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/zero-waste) - [Channel Business (1)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/channel-business) - [Consulting (1)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/consulting) - [General (1)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/general) - [IT (1)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/it) - [Money mastering (1)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/money-mastering) - [Partner Program (1)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/partner-program) - [Women in Tech (1)](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/topic/women-in-tech) [see all](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/no-phone-no-laptop-no-facebook-for-a-week-can-you-survive#) ### Popular Posts [![Public Relations Today](https://widget.aggregage.com/images/publicrelationstoday/badge-125x125.png "Public Relations Today")](https://www.publicrelationstoday.com/%26source=inbound-pr) [How To](https://www.publicrelationstoday.com/how-to/) [Publicity](https://www.publicrelationstoday.com/publicity/) [Digital PR](https://www.publicrelationstoday.com/digital-pr/) [Media Relations](https://www.publicrelationstoday.com/media-relations/) [Strategy](https://www.publicrelationstoday.com/strategy/) [More >>](https://www.publicrelationstoday.com/?cmd=view-more-keywords&source=inbound-pr#concepts) ## Want to talk? ![Iliyana Stareva headshot](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Iliyana%20Stareva%20headshot.png?width=150&height=165&name=Iliyana%20Stareva%20headshot.png "Iliyana Stareva headshot") [**](https://www.facebook.com/iliyana.stareva) [**](https://twitter.com/iliyanastareva) [**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iliyanastareva) [**](http://instagram.com/iliyanastareva) [**](http://www.pinterest.com/iliyanastareva/) I'm always happy to chat about how we can work together. Get in touch with me and start the conversation. I'd love to hear from you. [![Contact Me](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/462269/a2852f9d-e407-4f12-b0de-8f0cc49d36e3.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/462269/a2852f9d-e407-4f12-b0de-8f0cc49d36e3) [**](https://www.iliyanastareva.com/blog/no-phone-no-laptop-no-facebook-for-a-week-can-you-survive#) Iliyana Stareva