In a previous post, Why we Need a Holiday From Our Screens, I talk about what we gain when we consciously turn our screens off, including a number of alternatives to spending time on our screens. But what happens when the unthinkable happens – when our mobile device has no service or battery life, and we have no choice but to switch it off? What do we do then? What follows are some alternatives to consider.

Sit and think – If you stop and think without the assistance or stimulation of an electronic device, you will see that your mind is actually a very busy place. You would be amazed at the things that consciously run through your mind when you have nothing to distract it. This is a great time for day-dreaming, envisioning different aspects of your future, planning or reflecting on the day’s events, or contemplating ourselves, our existence, character, and our life.

Meditate and breathe – Meditation has numerous benefits, not just stress reduction, but it reaches down to the cellular and DNA levels. In another post, My Personal Meditation, I share what I do personally for my own meditation, and I share a link to a Deepak Chopra video listing the many benefits of meditation. My meditation is usually about 7-8 minutes per day. There’s no wrong way to meditate, so if you’re ever stuck without a device, meditation would be a really good option.

Reflect on good things – My wife and I developed this as a regular practice to change our focus from the negative circumstances in our life to the innumerable positives in our life. We also use it with our kids, to help them focus on the positives in their lives. The technique is simple, we ask, “What are 10 good things about (fill in the blank)?” or we often say “10 good things”, which is our code for shifting our focus to something positive – but we always take a moment to list 10 good things. You would be amazed how this simple technique can transform how you experience your life on an ongoing basis. Honestly, it’s one of the secrets to my own sense of personal gratitude and happiness.

Take a Nap – If your device loses power or connectivity, and if you have no other priorities, it’s a perfect moment to take a nap. It doesn’t have to be a long nap – maybe 20 minutes or so. Naps can be super refreshing, they give your body some much-needed decompression, they give you a good reset, and help restore your energy.

Talk to someone – If you’re among other people, like in a waiting area, you can talk to the people around you. Despite our cultural shift to more isolated, electronic, text-based conversation, talking in-person is by far the best mode of communication and will never ever go out of style. You might be amazed how willing people are to engage, and how quickly you can get to know someone.

Talk to yourself or pray – If you’re alone, you can talk to yourself or your God. There seems to be a stigma with talking to oneself, but then again if no one is looking, who will know? Go for it. Have some good conversation and self-talk with yourself about the things going on in your life, you might be amazed how helpful, penetrating, honest, and deep this sort of “outward’ processing can be. If you are a person of faith, it’s an ideal time to connect and process with your Intelligent Designer.

Allow boredom to pass – But wait, Mark didn’t you say you were going to help me overcome boredom? Wait for it…I think the reason why we rely on our devices so much is that we actually fear boredom. Boredom in our culture today represents a catastrophic failure to fill our time with activity, to be productive at every moment, or to keep ourselves actively entertained at all times. The thing we must remember is that technology has really taken off in the way we recognize it only in the last few decades. People spent thousands of years without the kind of personal technology we have today. And guess what? They were bored too – a lot! But the thing about boredom is that it is a temporary emotion. Dr. Richard Carlson the author of “Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff” says that “once you’re beyond the feeling of boredom, the feeling that you have next is peace.” So you can conquer boredom (like the Death Angel in the Book of Exodus) by allowing it to come and simply letting it passover (pun totally intended), because eventually it will if you don’t try to fill the time with something else.

While it is tempting to curse our devices or our mobile service providers, having no battery life or no service is actually a blessing and a moment we should appreciate, because we can finally be our own captive audience, and not subject to the whims, advertising, and notifications of our habit-creating devices. It’s a moment where we can recapture our time, our minds, our souls, and ourselves…and overcome boredom in the process.

Question: What do you do when you have a dead device, and have no other means for working, entertainment, or diversion? You can leave a comment by clicking here.