India, Nov. 12 -- We featured, a few weeks ago, the stories of people who found ways - even temporary ones - to cut ties to their smartphone and its relentless pinging. Not only did it make some readers look up from their screens with hope, it got others to share their experiences too. Mothers reacted differently from doctors; content creators needed different hacks from artists. Here's how they conquered their challenge.

The ones who made it stick

Ruhie Pande, an HR and marketing leader in Mumbai, admits that her first attempt failed. She's a mother. Her children live away from home. So, the urge to pick up the phone and check on the kids was hard to dismiss. She lived in "the fear of missing a call when they might need me."

She didn'...