An entrepreneur who ditched his smartphone three years ago says he has never looked back.
He now runs his business without a computer, bank cards or social media.
John Foley, 38, has fully embraced what he calls "analogue mode", operating his award-winning plant nursery in Holden without modern technology.
The father of two switched off his iPhone 14 after growing tired of the constant stream of notifications, emails and messages distracting him throughout the day.
"It has been very therapeutic and liberating - I feel like I have taken back control of my life, mind, and sense of achievement."
Since making the change, Mr Foley has abandoned his computer, swapped bank cards for cash and relies on paper diaries and handwritten notes to organise both his business and personal life.
Before giving up his phone, he was spending around five hours and 40 minutes a day looking at screens. Although he believed much of that time was productive, he now feels those hours have been reclaimed for more meaningful activities.
Mr Foley's decision to go phone-free stemmed from two experiences he describes as "life-changing".
The first took place on May 18, 2023, when he travelled to London to meet Helen Boem, then Floral Development Manager of the Chelsea Flower Show, to discuss an AI-powered garden planning app his team was developing.
After staying up late texting the night before, he decided to leave his phone behind the following morning. The experience, he said, allowed him to focus properly, be more present and engage with people in a way he had not experienced for years.
Mr Foley's decision to go phone-free stemmed from two experiences he describes as "life-changing"
A fortnight later, on 4 June, he joined six friends for a camping weekend at Pen-y-ghent in the Yorkshire Dales, again without his phone.
Spotting a woman writing in a diary on his return journey from London had also sparked his thinking.
"Back in the day, all these important businessmen and huge companies worked on pen and paper, so why can't they now?" he said.
Following his camping trip, he gave himself a fortnight to abandon his phone permanently but ended up doing so a week early, hiding the device somewhere in his home with a five-year challenge in mind.
Spotting a woman writing in a diary on his return journey from London had also sparked his thinking
|GETTY
The next day, he trekked seven miles to Clitheroe to buy his first diary after being locked out of online shopping due to forgotten passwords and authentication barriers.
By September 2024, he had completely eliminated email and internet access, opting instead for in-person client meetings and handwritten plans and documents, which he says customers "appreciate."
That autumn, he also ditched his debit card, though he maintains a bank account for direct debit bill payments.
While customers can still contact the business via landline, post or email, staff members now handle any technology-related tasks, though he plans to phase these out too.
He acknowledges the first winter without a phone proved difficult, leaving him feeling "very lonely," and he had to master proper time management and self-organisation.
John Foley operates his award-winning plant nursery in Holden without modern technology
|GETTY
The nursery owner is now investigating methods to eliminate technology from his company entirely, aiming to operate solely on pen and paper before 2026 concludes.
His AI garden planning app was scrapped but transformed into a face-to-face service promoted through word of mouth and the community gardens he oversees.
"Time poverty is what the world suffers with in 2026, but when you come out, everything slows down and you reclaim it," he said.
He is currently working to establish a charity in partnership with local councils to create community green spaces, offering children the chance to disconnect from screens and experience gardening.