Last month, on a quiet Sunday morning, our tranquil life was rudely interrupted.
 
The WiFi suddenly stopped working.
 
Roused to action, we gingerly approached the WiFi router. Checking the cables to rule out any loose connections, we switched it off for a minute before turning it on again (the universally accepted standard for making almost anything work), and even tapped the side of the router gently to cheer it on.
 
But nothing happened.
 
A couple of hours and a few phone calls later, we were informed that our WiFi contract had expired, and the renewal would take a couple of weeks.
 
What?! Unbelievable!
 
No WiFi meant no Netflix, no scrolling through social media for hours on end, or watching funny videos indiscriminately.

We still had mobile data on our phones, but it was nowhere near enough to support a few hours’ worth of streaming television. Also, we had to budget it, because who knew how long we had to manage in the wild… er, I mean without WiFi.
 
How would we live?!
 
With nothing to do, we sombrely finished the weekend chores, and stepped out for a leisurely walk. Later that evening, we cooked and enjoyed an early dinner. The meal stretched out over an hour, as we spent time savouring our food, and talking and laughing and reminiscing about the good old days.
 
After dinner, I picked up a book from our neglected bookshelf and settled down for the evening.

I was in bed by 9:30 that night, and up at 5 the next morning. 5 am! I hadn’t seen 5 am in forever! I got out of bed, made myself a cup of coffee and sat by the window looking out at the barely dawn sky. I even spent a few minutes writing a little poem. Not a bad start to the day at all!
 
Over the next few days, with more time on my hands, I rediscovered old hobbies. I read, a lot. Went for walks. Played my piano. Did some artwork. Caught up on pending chores around the house. Made a weekly meal plan. Started cooking more. Began journaling. Put on music and danced. Danced without music when I got fed up with the 6 downloaded songs I had on my phone.
 
And then, almost 13 days later, the WiFi returned!
 
But by then I had forgotten to pick up my phone every few minutes to browse through my favourite social media app. Or that I needed to religiously watch every popular movie or series as though it were an ultimate bucket list.
 
I had unknowingly adopted new, and better, habits.

I have more time in the day to do the things I love. I feel happier, calmer and more creative. I’ve even switched to a healthier diet thanks to my weekly meal plans.

I still watch my favourite movies and series, but have stopped binge watching. I’m more mindful. My sleeping patterns have changed. I go to bed early, and read for a while before I sleep. I’m now a morning person! That’s something I never thought I’d say!
 
It’s amazing how quickly, and easily, we can adapt to change. We could change our habits and, in turn, our lives, if we would only be a little mindful of how we go about our day. We rush through life at the speed of light, ticking off items on arbitrary To-Do lists, never taking a moment to pause and wonder why.

Sometimes, it’s good to disconnect and spend some time offline. Spend time on your hobbies. Indulge your creativity and imagination. Notice what you like to do when there aren’t any distractions available.

What could you do today that your future self will thank you for?