Sometimes I think I’m becoming addicted to my phone.

This gadget is my camera, my bank, my list-maker, my television, my music-sharing device, my gateway into my friend’s lives (via social media), and my communicator for my loved ones. So it’s understandable that there’s a draw to it—but I worry that I’ve started going full days without being able to put it down.

This becomes a huge problem when I’m travelling. Yes, there are lots of things that I can’t do without a phone—follow a map, for example, or call the hotel. In these ways, a phone is necessary; but when I’m somewhere new, I want to resist the urge to look at it all the time. I don’t want to be looking down at my screen; I want to be taking in the sights around me.

To that end, I’ve started relying more heavily on what I’m calling “analog”—or non-smart—technology instead of using only my phone. I’ve found that it helps me slow down a bit on trips, rather than feeling the need to always jump on what my phone is alerting me to. If you’re looking to do the same, might I suggest:

An old-school iPod.

Yes, I still have an old-school iPod (I’ve actually had a few over the years, as tragically some have broken and/or ended up in the washing machine). I still make myself playlists for special occasions; still have full albums on there that I’ve ripped from CDs. Some of them use wired headphones and a headphone jack (AKA, no Bluetooth)

Why? Well, it started as a preference at the gym; I could be on the treadmill, pushing myself to the extreme, listening to something on my phone—when I’d look down and see a notification pop up from someone else. I’ll just get back to them quickly became a break in my concentration, which slowed my breathing, and inevitably my workout suffers.

Although I’m not a huge advocate for walking around a new place with headphones in (I don’t like cutting myself off from the sounds of a new place, and I always want to keep my wits about me!), if I’m going to listen to music, I like to use something that won’t distract me from my setting further. Plus, there’s no ads (unlike Youtube and Spotify) so I’m getting a 100% purely curated experience!

Top tip if you’re trying this: one of the best life hacks I’ve read is from a New York Times article that suggested that whenever you visit somewhere new, download an album of music that you’ve never heard before, and listen to it during your trip. The next time you listen to it, you’ll be reminded of where you were when you first heard it!

A notebook and pen.

I might as well be talking about a stone tablet and chisel to some people, but I love having a notebook and pen with me when I travel. For easy travel, I make my notebook a small, thin one (usually smaller than an A5 sheet of paper), and a plain black pen with non-bleed ink.

I write down lists of activities I’d like to do; things that I want to do a deeper-dive on, research-wise; topics that I’d like to explore in my writing. Physically using a pen helps me remember better than taking notes with a digital device.

Writing can also be therapeutic; I try to write three pages of journal each morning, to set my brain on the right path. It can be hard to keep up this routine while travelling, so I often adapt it to the smaller pages. I also have used pen-and-paper writing when I’m feeling overwhelmed, to force myself to slow down and untangle the thoughts I have.

Notebooks are also flexible in ways that electronics can’t be; you can design a page around margins you create, shove a receipt or other paper souvenir in the middle of them to jog your memory, or even kiss words goodbye and use the pages for sketching (I’m not great at this, but I’m getting better through practice!).

An analog watch.

Nothing against digital watches; but one that isn’t connected to your phone is the key here. Instead of constantly looking at your wrist for email pings, text message notifications and news alerts, your watch should just do one thing—tell you what time it is. This also pulls me away from the trap of setting timers limiting my time in one place or another, or timing myself to see how fast I can get from the train to the hotel. Instead of this distraction of optimizing every minute, I’m absorbing the space around me!

I understand that some people use their smart watch as a step-counter or workout-tracker. I’ll remind you that screenless step counters exist—and if you’re looking for a slow-trip experience, where you make the most out of every moment, measuring success in how many steps you take might pull you out of that experience.

My phone on airplane mode.

Even when I want to disconnect from my phone, there are still a lot of reasons why carrying it around with me isn’t optional (especially as a solo female traveller). So I try to put it on airplane mode as much as I can; it saves the battery, it doesn’t allow for notifications to come in and distract me, and it can still be used as a camera, and in case of emergencies.  

Remember—travelling slowly doesn’t have to mean rejecting technology entirely. But making sure that your tools enhance, and not detract from, your experience is the best way to relax—and be fully present, wherever you are.

Happy travels!