In a single word, DOWNGRADE. Do the opposite of what every phone maker urges you. Instead of moving up to a newer, shinier, feature-rich phone, switch to an older, back-to-basics one.

Sure, texting on an old-fashioned phone won’t be easy. It will be tiresome that soon you may find yourself calling instead, having a real conversation with real people.

Will you miss your smartphone’s excellent camera? Of course, you will. But at least, you may start living in the moment. The next time you’re out with family, you’ll enjoy their company more instead of photographing yourself over and over. For once, a meal at a restaurant will feel like a meal and less of a photo-shoot.

Will you miss meetings because your clamshell doesn’t ping you reminders? Or will your boss think less of you because you don’t respond to email in the shower?

And how will you survive an hour-long commute without a smartphone? Simple. Read a book. The bonus: it will make you look more intellectual. Or start a conversation with the person next to you (that is if he’s not on his smartphone). Or you could just give your brain some pause. Meditate. Get inside your head. Think about stuff (as a thought starter, think about how your world hasn’t ended yet without a smartphone). No GPS? Ahem! Now that could be a sore point. But never mind, you could try something new. Like reading a map, maybe.

Look at the brighter side. You won’t have to charge your phone every few hours. Your stone-age phone can go days without a battery charge. You won’t get robbed on the Tube either. No worthy thief would waste his time on a “dumb phone”. Isn’t that cool? You’re safe, at least.

And you know what — you could lose your phone, too. Or drop it in the bathtub (unlikely because you’re not going to be checking e-mail now). Besides, you’re going to be rich with all the money you save on data fees.

Remember, your life can’t get any worse than it already is with a smartphone. It can only get better from here.

Ignore the siren call of the latest smartphone being advertised. And say hello to a screenless life. It could well become the sane man’s digital heaven.