Hi , Happy Friday.

I'm going to ring the hypocrite bell this week.

With all the recent news, I'm ashamed to admit that how much my phone use has climbed.

I write this to anyone else who might be currently doing the same.

Or, if this week isn't major - but you'd like tools to cut down screen time.

There's two purposes to this email:

1. Me sharing a few habits you'll find the most helpful.

2. Re-remind myself to follow them too!!

Let's go.

First: It's worth defining what the problem is.

"It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it."

-Seneca.

When most people talk about their screen time, they're bothered about a few things.

• Time on a phone means time not doing other things we'd like to do, read, exercise, connect with friends and, of course, sleep.

• Time on phone is distracting. It might not be much 'time' but it's interrupting flow states and preventing good focus.

• If 'we are what we eat,' our brain food is also important. And much screen use is polarising, negative, urgent media.

• Time in our phone is time out our heads. We're not evolved for this.

So, take your pick.

I'll now rank some of the best methods for cutting screen time that I've shared with clients (and myself).

Step by step process:

1. Choose one or two.
2. Write them down on paper.
3. Give a trial time frame (ie. until 13th Feb)
4. Sign your name.
5. Stick it on your wall/door.

1. Make your bedroom (or at least your bed) a phone-free zone. 100% strictness.

2. Move your phone charger out your room (or as far away if house sharing).

3. Get a non-phone alarm clock

Set a regular time every day

Put it other side of room so you have to get up to turn it off.

(If you're a 'but I need my phone as an alarm' - which I've been. Remember that 10 years ago, for all of the 300 years before we got to our jobs on time without a phone. And the 300 million years before that when we just woke naturally)

4. Automate a tool that puts your phone onto airplane mode at some set evening time. (On iPhone, you can't automate it turning off sadly, but this is the next best w/o an app)

Reply if you'd like help.

5. Move your most addictive apps to just your computer - Reddit, YouTube, Instagram. You can still access them, but it's less conveniant.

6. Replace the habit with something similar - a kindle is your reverse 'gateway drug.'

7. When at home: Give your phone a place - treat it like a landline. Plug it into an 'off' charger. In a drawer, Out of site really is out of mind. Proactive vs reactive.

8. Automate location settings that put phone on DnD when you travel there.

9. Priming: When you start your day on your phone, you immediately lower your willpower to rid it later. Turn it off overnight. Do ANYTHING to prevent you going on it right away.

10. Automate red/grayscale mode all the time or evening.

With any of these.

But be clear on what habit you're breaking, why you want to break it, who you want to be by breaking it, and when you'll know if you've succeeded.

I'm going to pick up 4 and 7 this week.

And, most importantly.

Be patient with yourself. You'll fail at each of these challenges multiple times.

You're competing with the smartest minds, billions of pounds, and years of habits.

Treat yourself like a kid you're teaching to colour in.

Imagine the patience you'd have when they go outside the lines.

'Try again kid'.

'You'll get it next time'

We're not experts.

We're not perfect.

We're all just humans BEING.

Best of luck.

PS: Maybe jot down this week's screen time and compare with next Friday - lemme know how you get on!

Cheers

Live by design, not default.

James - humans BEING

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The views expressed are my own, based on sources available at the time of writing. Logos, images, and short excerpts may appear for identification, critique, or educational purposes; all trademarks and copyrights remain with their owners. I aim to be accurate, and if you believe something here is incorrect, please let me know so I can review and, if needed, correct it.

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