That was quite beautifully explained. I think I feel all of that to a smaller extent if I just turn off all my devices and let myself be alone with my thoughts for a while.
Every year, I put my phone in airplane mode for the week of my birthday. Aside from checking email on my laptop, I find the phone and state of always being connected disappear from my concern within the first day.
I spend those weeks doing things I've put off, or normally feel there isn't time for.
By now, I look forward to it. Birthdays have become a time for reflection and forecasting. By the end of the week, my life has been quietly rearranged. I like to think there's a surreptitious improvement in my life due to this.
