We get told all the time to put our phones away and pay attention. Everyone’s been there; you’re on your phone when a teacher, a parent or even a friend tells you to turn your iPhone off, pry your eyes away from SnapChat, Instagram and Facebook, and focus on what’s in front of you. But have you ever actually tried going without your phone for more than a few hours? A few weeks?

I tried that this summer, “disconnecting to reconnect” while at summer camp in Maine. “DC to RC” is a phrase used by Maine campers and counselors to articulate the value of giving up your phone for the summer to revamp relations with yourself and others.

After a busy school year, I initially expected that the loss of connectivity would be hard to adapt to. But I soon found myself content off the grid, and experienced three clear changes in my day-to-day life for the seven weeks I was at camp.

First, when my friends and I put away our phones, we were able to have a more genuine conversation and meet more people. People tend to use their phones as a crutch when they’re around strangers rather than trying to make new friends. But when no one has a phone, this isn’t an option. I met and became friends with campers and counselors who had come to camp in Maine from Venezuela, Spain, the UK and even New Zealand. Had I—or others—been distracted by our phones, it’s possible we may not have met each other or became friends.

Second, I found I was rarely “killing time.” In the digital age, we don’t notice how much time we spend surfing the web, watching Netflix or checking social media. Without electronics, I noticed how much more I seemed to get done every day. My friends and I found our days packed with tennis, volleyball, and even paddleboarding, and our nights filled with cards, late night ultimate frisbee, or spontaneous river swims. While we would have done some of these with phones, we had more time throughout the day for activities.

And finally, I noticed how easy it was to forget about the concerns and work at home and just focus on enjoying the moment. When my friends and I hiked up Mt. Eisenhower at night, I wasn’t worried about documenting it for social media or texting friends from home. Instead, I took in the view and appreciated nature around me.

“Disconnecting to reconnect” opened my eyes to the benefits of escaping technology, but how can we apply this lesson to our home lives, where connectivity is a necessity?

The answer is simple: disconnect and reconnect just a little each day. In a tech-dominated world, disconnecting is difficult, but so rewarding. Next time you’re out with friends, put your phone away. You’ll be surprised how much you learn.