For more pictures of Mongolia have a look at: https://trackmytour.com/shlp9

When we headed off for 5 weeks bikepacking in Mongolia, I deliberately removed myself from communications and the internet. It is many years since I did this for any length of time...so long I'm struggling to remember when it was. Maybe 2015, when we cycled across Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and there was literally no method of staying in contact in those countries other than going to internet cafes which rarely existed.

I knew it was time to have a break – time to remind myself of what life can be life when you don't feel bound to constantly be in touch. Before commtech constantly disturbed our consciousness, make it ever harder to concentrate. That was most of the years I have lived, even if being in constant contact now feels like an everpresent norm.

I told my 91 year old mother we would be out of touch for 5 weeks. "I won't be able to contact you on the usual channels?" she asked. "No," I said. It felt hard, but was necessary because, if you communicate with anyone, it is almost impossible to ignore communications from other people when your device is connected. 30 year old Sarah was more relaxed about us going out of contact. She has her own busy life to pay attention to. I also wanted to be an example for her – demonstratng to a millenial the world doesn't end if you drop out of it; we can feel we are essential while we're only one ant in a very large anthill. Towards the end of our trip, when I told a group of Gen Z-ers, towards the end of our trip we'd been disconnected for nearly 5 weeks, they were partly impressed and partly dubious this was possible or a good idea. For them, life without connection was very hard to contemplate.

What was it like being disconnected?

Peaceful! My phone became a navigation device and a diary recorder. It had few other functions. There was no incentive to look at my phone other than when I was cycling and wanted to check I was on the right route (something you have to do a lot of in Mongolia where there are a plethora of dirt tracks diverging from each other by a few degrees). I put my phone in the pocket of the tent when we camped, otherwise I'd forget where it was after hours not seeing it and have a panic moment as we packed in the morning because its navigation function was almost irreplaceable (Chris did also have a phone so there was a back-up if we lost one).

I noticed:

- My phone did not drag at my brain and my fingers - I didn't feel the urge to pick my phone up, swipe across the screen.

- Irritation when we were in towns with other people and they kept looking at their phones when we were talking.

- I spent time just sitting, drinking a cup of tea and doing nothing else in particular.

- I didn't miss the news at all. Why do I care so much about what is going on all over the world that I can have no bearing on?

What was it like 'returning'?

- Depression when I saw the number 802 on my email inbox.

- Worry as I scrolled through my messages on different platforms in case there was some significant problem I needed to fix.

- I noticed how many platforms I need to check, which is why I have notifications, which are some of the worst aspect of having a phone...it is constantly buzzing at you, telling you to pay attention to itself and not the outside world.

- I felt the degree of 'pull' social media has...the pull to see if anything interesting has been posted.

- I registered how little of importance to me there was on either social media or the news...I had been out of touch for 5 weeks and so little happened? The news items appeared to be recycling the same events, many of which were of little weight to me or anyone else. Do people really care some tech CEO is kissing his HR manager at a concert? Do people really care about how much time Trump spent with Epstein? There's no doubt both men are/were completely horrible – we don't need more evidence. And Israel is still torturing Gazans while the world says, "Naughty, naughty," but does little. This one matters, but is not something I have any sort of effect on.

So far, only a week in, my phone hasn't regained its previous degree of power over me. I have little interest in social media feeds. I leave my phone in another room when I'm socialising with people and feel annoyed by the thought I might need to check it. I have switched on the minimum number of notifications so I don't miss critical information. My watch remains unconnected from my phone – no buzzing on my wrist. I'm guessing my phone will get its claws back into me, dopamine hit by dopamine hit. I will do my best to fend it off...it won't be a decade before I have another significant tech break!