Smartphones are incredible. At our fingertips we can access so much. We can travel the world with our eyes, learn as much about history as our hearts desire, and connect with friends and family across an ocean. Truly, my phone is such a gift to me and rarely do I stop to think about how lucky we are to live in such a technologically advanced age. But of course, there’s a downside too.
More nights than I’d like to admit, I’ve found myself laying in bed, glued to my phone and mindlessly scrolling. Eventually, I realize its time to go to sleep or my eyelids feel too heavy, and the phone gets put down on my bedside table. But then I’ll struggle to fall asleep. Sometimes I’ll reach for my phone again and keep scrolling until I inevitably fall asleep. I know so many others who struggle with this pattern too. Our phones offer us the most immediate hit of distraction and dopamine. We can quite literally become addicted to our phones and all the things we use it for. In particular, social media can be incredibly addicting. In recent years, short form content has been hitting heavy on the internet. TikTok and Instagram reward creators who create quick, short videos because they know these videos are addicting. And their algorithms keep us coming back for more. Its not your fault if you become addicted to the internet in this age. Its literally being designed to get and keep you addicted!
I worry sometimes about what short form content is doing to our attention spans. Nothing good, that’s for sure. I know for me, it’s incredibly easy to waste an hour or two on Instagram scrolling through reels and then getting distracted further once landing on someone’s page and finding myself hopelessly engaged by their picture perfect life. It takes me some effort to pull myself away and then even more effort trying to focus on what I actually need to do with my time. Not to say that I don’t enjoy watching some of these videos, but the majority of them aren’t really adding much substance to my life and this year I’ve been wanting to be more intentional with how I live my life and what I bring into it.
Now I just have to break this habit. Easier said than done of course but I’m eager for positive change this year so hopefully I can make some progress. One of the changes I’d like to make this year is reading more books. I used to love reading books but college turned that love into a chore. I’ve been slowly bringing back my joy of reading, first by revisiting an old favorite book. I also make it a relaxing activity. I generally like to read after the sun goes down, after I’ve cleaned the dishes and tidied up the kitchen and living room so I can have a peaceful space. I’ll make a cup of tea and use my insulated mug to make sure it stays hot as long as possible so I can sip on it periodically while reading. Sometimes, I’ll set a timer on my phone for an hour. During this hour I like to challenge myself to just read my book and not get up or check my phone.
One of the other changes I’m hoping to continue going forward is not pick up my phone for the first hour of the day except to check the time. Instead of scrolling through my phone, I’d like to take that time to nourish my body and mind with exercise and meditation. A short walk if the weather’s nice, or a short yoga routine in the guest bedroom. Then maybe some journaling or just putting away the clean dishes in the kitchen, which I find somewhat meditative. I find when I start my day this way, I’m usually more relaxed as the day continues and less likely to turn to the internet as a stress reliever. I also feel like when I accomplish something as simple as not looking at my phone for an hour each morning, it inspires me to keep the ball rolling. I’m less likely to procrastinate when I feel more motivated and if I’ve already in motion.
I’ve found that its easier for me to make healthier swaps than going completely cold turkey on consuming digital content. Especially since I really enjoy watching some creators on YouTube and find their content inspiring, relaxing, or brings value to my life. So instead of getting in a funk of sitting on the couch scrolling or watching shorts, I’ll put on a YouTube video and fold laundry or tidy up. This works even better with podcasts because then I’m not distracted looking at the video.
Ultimately, what I’m hoping to accomplish with this digital detox is to have a greater attention span, procrastinate less, and enjoy the content I consume more. I’m hoping to cultivate healthier habits in the morning to encourage me to keep my phone down throughout the day. And if I’m not being constantly distracted by my phone, I’ll get my work done earlier in the day. That will allow me to feel more present in the evenings without the guilt of not getting things finished. Time will only tell how successful I’ll be, but I plan to update this blog post six months from now, so stay tuned!