It is not everyday that you get the opportunity to sit by yourself in a state of complete isolation from the thousands of distractions that you face on a daily basis. However, I was grateful for this experience, as I made some shocking realizations that I know will be beneficial for the rest of my life.

As I began this exercise, I was thinking to myself “Hahaha, it is funny that I really think I can stay off of my phone and computer for 15 whole minutes.” I will admit, I didn’t really take it too seriously, and knew I had to try this again later.

A few hours pass, and at last I am alone in my dorm in a state of relaxation, knowing I got most of my work done for the day and completed my laundry which I had been putting off. I knew it was the perfect time to dive into this assignment, so I set the timer for 15 minutes, sat down on my bed, and closed my eyes. Little did I know, those 15 minutes would be some of the most luxuriate minutes of my whole life.

I realized from this experience that it is crazy how busy and how constantly preoccupied our society is as a whole. Each and everyday we always have something to do and I have observed how my friends and I are constantly stressed about upcoming events, assignments, and never have time to live in the present. The 15 minutes I spent alone in my room with my lights and screens turned off made me feel so content without a care in the world. Of course when those 15 minutes were over I returned to my homework assignments, like this one I am writing now, however I felt as though my heart was beating a bit slower, my thoughts drifted away into different compartments of my brain, and I undoubtedly felt happier. My biggest takeaway from this assignment is to designate 15 minutes each day to be free of all distractions and solely be present with my own self.