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There are no two ways about it, Smart Phones have completely changed the way we live and socialise. Back in the olden days (well, literally about 10 years ago) if you said you were going to meet your mate, if was probably at your local high street’s MacDonald’s or HMV, and you HAD to be there at the time you said, because there was no way to tell them you were late, or got distracted en route. Nowadays, it’s pretty much acceptable to be half an hour late to meet a friend, because you bumped into someone at the tube station and grabbed a coffee with them – but it’s totally okay because you Whatsapped them to let them know. You don’t need to work out your route in advance, because there are apps for that, and you don’t even need to decide where you want to eat/drink/shop, because an app can tell you where’s good, or you can ask people on Social Media. This is how it is now, but is it necessarily what’s best? Why not ditch your mobile one Saturday and see if you can make it in the big bad world without Instagramming your breakfast.
Try Somewhere New For Coffee
Do you always go past that cute little coffee place with the hipster sign outside on the bus to work but never go in? Probably because you are nearly at your free coffee on your loyalty card at the chain shop next to your office, right? Well this weekend, why not take a wander down and give this place a go. It might be cheaper and even more delicious.
Try a Different High Street
If you like to spend your Saturday afternoons mooching about the same high street, why not change it up. Head to a different one and try looking in different shops. If you’re lucky, you might find an amazing antique shop to lose hours in, or a cool furniture shop to play in and pretend you’re in 500 Days of Summer.
Take a Different Route
If you take the same bus route everywhere (I’m a slave to the 29) give a different route a go. One of two things could happen. A. It could be quicker (even IF Citymapper told you it wasn’t) or B. It could be longer, but that gives you the chance to look out of the window and see more of the place you live in, rather than refreshing your Twitter feed every 2 minutes.
Don’t Just Rely On Facebook Friend Suggestions
Try somewhere for dinner/cocktails that you’ve not been before, but don’t just go to the new cool place. This way, you probably won’t have to queue for hours for an overpriced Pornstar Martini, and you might just discover a new hidden gem.
Actually Chat To Your Friends
Use your phone-free day to actually chat to your friends over dinner/drinks, instead of taking endless pictures of them/food/drinks, showing them your latest Tinder matches, or worse, live-tweeting the whole night. Newsflash: the only people that actually care are those who are there with you.
Chat Someone Up Without Tinder
When was the last time you approached someone in a bar, or they approached you? It just doesn’t happen any more does it? At least, it doesn’t happen outside of Inferno’s before 11pm, anyway. It’ll be scary, and you may well get rejected to your actual face, but knock back some Dutch courage and give it a go! If it works, you might not have to have the word ‘Tinder’ in your wedding speech.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.