Guard Your Battery, Lose Your Humanity
I used to think my phone was my lifeline. In Amsterdam, where rain slicks the cobblestones and bikes fly by like they're late for something important, my screen was the one constant: notifications buzzing through tram rides, endless scrolls while waiting for koffie at a brown café, quick checks at red lights on the Keizersgracht. It felt safe. Controlled. Connected.
Until it didn't.
By early 2026, I was exhausted in a way sleep couldn't fix. My anxiety had crept up quietly — heart racing in crowds, that low hum of dread when the battery dipped below 20%. I blamed the city, the weather, work. But deep down, I knew the truth: I'd outsourced my presence to a rectangle in my pocket. I was here, but never really here.
So on a drizzly February morning, I made a rule that felt ridiculous: no phone in public for 30 days. Pocket, bag, or leave it at home — but never in hand when outside my apartment. If I needed directions or music, tough. The goal wasn't total detox; it was forcing myself to look up, be bored, and — if the moment felt right — talk to someone. One stranger conversation a day if it happened naturally. No forcing, just availability.
What broke first was the fidgeting.
Days 1–10: The Withdrawal Hits Hard
The first week was brutal. At the Albert Cuyp Market, my hand kept reaching for my pocket like a phantom limb. Without the screen to hide behind, every line felt exposed. I noticed things I'd ignored for years: the way an old man feeds pigeons near the Nieuwmarkt, the precise rhythm of bike bells, the smell of fresh stroopwafels mixing with canal water.
I also noticed people. Everyone else was doing what I'd been doing — heads down, thumbs moving. On the 2 tram toward Centraal, a carriage full of silent faces lit by blue light. No one spoke. No one looked up. It hit me: we're all in our own little bubbles, floating through the same beautiful city.
By day 5, boredom turned into restlessness. Waiting for coffee at a spot on the Prinsengracht, I had nothing to do but watch. A woman in a red coat struggled with her umbrella in the wind. Our eyes met. She laughed first. "This weather," she said. I replied, "It builds character, right?" We chatted for two minutes about nothing — the rain, the best waterproof jackets. It felt awkward, electric, alive.
That tiny exchange cracked something open. My anxiety didn't vanish, but it lost its grip for a moment.
Days 11–20: The City Starts Talking Back
Halfway through, the experiment shifted from punishment to curiosity.
Comments (24)
Brilliantly done, such a great twist. Top story indeed.
You developed a great character in so few words. well done. Congratulations
You developed a great character in so few words. Congratulations
The pacing in this story is truly great. The reveal of the patient is impactful and paints Dr. Zahir's previous stress very brightly. The final sentence communicates a denouement and release that pair with the previous action in a lovely way. I enjoy seeing a doctor humanized like this.
Congrats on the top story! This was a fantastic read.
😀
Whoa! This is amazing, I did not expect that! Congrats on Top Story, my friend!! :)
Loved your ability to convey an important message about the humanity that connects us vs the stereotypes or "teams" that could potentially divide us, in so few words.
So well done, congrats on the top story
Congrats on the Top Story! Great idea, well (can I say this?) executed!
Congratulations on your Top Story🎉✨😉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Great writing!!
Congratulations on Top Story 🥇
Congrats on the TS
Congratulations on Top Story!!
Ohhh 💡☝️Excellent work Congratulations 🎉 on top story
This is fucking genius! Loved the tension building and then the twist at the end. Congrats on a well deserved Top Story!
I love this!
Congratulations on your Top Story
I could feel the tension and the pressure. What a twist!! And the ending was such a cool way to finish. Loved this one!
Great story. Well done.
Great short story!
Woah!!! What a sudden change to the tone of the story. Great read, Thavien.
Wow, that's a rough situation and a great story👍❤️