My wife has her own business. She used to rely heavily on her smartphone to keep it going, and it was taking a toll on our family. Having all her emails and business dealings in her hand at all times was distracting her from being present for me and the kids.

She made the decision to switch to a flip phone and keep all her work on the computer. It was a great change for our family. We worried that her business would suffer because of it, but to our immense surprise and gratification, business boomed. She kept her business and home separate, and it worked out great.

After a while of watching my wife with her flip phone, I realized that I wanted to make the switch myself and “join the fun.” It was much harder than I anticipated, but I did it. Along with the difficulty came freedom and relief from being constantly distracted and pulled to look at my phone. I felt stronger and calmer without the pull.

In truth, the gains far overshadow the difficulty.